BIRDS OF PEASEMARSH 



and not so numerous here. It accompanies its 

 singing, which sounds not unlike its own name, 

 Chebec, with both a movement of the tail and 

 the head. It has also white bars on the wings. 



Our largest member of the family is the 

 Kingbird, and fortunately a very common resi- 

 dent. The Kingbirds are easily distinguished 

 by the white fringe at the end of the tail, but 

 if this fails to identify them watch for a pair of 

 dark-colored, light-breasted birds that dare to 

 chase a bird-nesting Crow out of the orchard, 

 frequently flying above him and giving him 

 such jabs with their beaks that he is glad to 

 squawk his promise to stay away henceforth. 



Being good sized birds they build rather 

 bulky nests ten feet or more from the ground 

 in some bush or tree. They are adepts in de- 

 fending themselves, and woe betide any Crow 

 or Blackbird that comes too near. They are 

 the guardians of the bank here, for by defend- 

 ing themselves they are protecting all smaller 

 birds that nest anywhere near. 



The value of the Flycatcher family is very 

 great. As the name implies, they live princi- 

 pally on winged insects and do not touch culti- 

 vated fruit, though sometimes in the early 

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