A SUMMER AT HOME. 209 



These king-birds are excessively saucj. Not a crow 

 or blackbird can come near but that they rush out and 

 peck at it and scold, much to its annoyance. Why they 

 never turn and punish these impudent fly-catchers I 

 cannot imagine. Their petty attacks upon larger birds 

 do not really indicate courage, for they are so active on 

 the wing that unless directly pursued they can dodge 

 such birds as they follow and snarl at. I have not dis- 

 turbed those nesting in the apple-tree, although they are 

 at times a veritable nuisance, but I undertook to re- 

 taliate for the innumerable attacks upon crows and 

 grakles. 



Purchasing a gaudy red-and-yellow bird-kite, made in 

 China, as I judged from its appearance, I waited until 

 the wind was fresh, and then sent it flying over the 

 meadows, in full view of the nesting king-birds. How 

 they scolded ! " A hawk so near them, indeed !" they 

 seemed to exclaim. " That is too much," said pater- 

 familias to his mate, and away he flew, mounting the air, 

 several yards above my very peaceful but agitated kite. 

 As the king-bird swooped down, I gave the string a 

 violent pull, and thus the kite seemed to be darting 

 from him. This emboldened him, and, screaming louder 

 and louder, he swooped nearer and nearer. Now was 

 my chance. Seeing that he was confident of victory, I 

 waited until he swooped once more, when, instead of 

 jerking away the kite, I cut the string. The wind car- 

 ried it towards the king-bird, which, unable to check 

 its downward progress, plunged headlong through the 

 gaudy paper covering. Frightened nearly to death, 

 down he came, almost to the ground ; then, recovering, 



