THE TYRANT FLYCATCHER. -BIRDS. THE CRESTED TYRANT. 



335 



ot green or olive tints in their plumage. Like the pre- 

 ceding it is a summer visitor to the United States, 

 whilst its \vinter is passed in warmer latitudes ; it is a 

 well-known bird in Jamaica, where it is called, " Whip 

 Tom Kelly," from a fancied resemblance in its song to 

 those words. Wilson says that by listening attentively 

 for some time to the note of this bird, it requires little 

 imagination to fancy that it pronounces the words 

 " Tom Kelly, Whip Tom Kelly," very distinctly, but 

 Mr. Gosse dissents from the general opinion, and says 

 that the notes resemble the syllables, " John-to-whit," 

 the last syllable pronounced with emphasis. 



The Red-eyed Flycatcher is a little larger than the 

 preceding species ; its general colour above is yellowish- 

 olive, beneath white ; a white line runs from the nostril 

 over the eye, which has a red iris. The nest of this 

 species is likewise conical in form, and paper is one of 

 its constant materials. Both these species are fre- 

 quently selected by the Cow-bird, as foster parents to 

 its offspring. 



THE YELLOW-BREASTED FLYCATCHER (Icteria 

 riridis), another nearly allied American species, is 

 larger than either of the preceding, measuring seven 

 inches in length. Its plumage is of a fine olive-green 

 colour above, and white beneath, with the throat and 

 breast of a brilliant yellow. During the period of 

 incubation, the male of this bird behaves in a most 

 extraordinary manner, uttering loud cries and ascend- 

 ing and descending in the air with a singular dancing 

 motion. He exhibits the greatest jealousy of any 

 intruders on the thicket which he has selected for his 

 residence, " scolding any passenger," says Wilson, "as 

 soon as they come within view, in a great variety of 

 odd and uncouth monosyllables." The nest, for the 

 protection of which all these exertions are made, is 

 usually placed in a bramble bush in the midst of some 

 impregnable thicket, and composed externally of dry 

 leaves, within which is a layer of strips of vine bark, 

 and an inner lining of fibrous roots and fine grass. 



THE TYRANT FLYCATCHER (Tyrannus ivtrepidus), 

 which is also called the KING-BIRD, is an example of 

 another American group of Flycatchers. In these birds 

 the bill is larger and stronger than in the ordinary 

 Flycatchers, indicating an approach to the Shrikes. 



The Tyrant Flycatcher is about eight inches in 

 length, the plumage of the upper parts is slaty ash- 

 colour, with the head and tail black, the feathers on 

 the former being capable of elevation, so as to form a 

 sort of crest, when a subjacent bed of a brilliant orange 

 colour is displayed, which is commonly called the 

 crown of the King-bird. The lower surface is white. 



The names of King and Tyrant bestowed upon this 

 bird, refer to the extraordinary authority which he 

 arrogates to himself during the breeding season, over 

 all the rest of the feathered creation. At this period, 

 as described by Wilson, " his extreme affection for his 

 mate, and for his nest and young, makes him suspi- 

 cio is of every bird that happens to pass near his 

 residence, so that he attacks without discrimination 

 any intruder. In the months of May, June, and part 

 of July, his life is one continued scene of broils and 

 battles; in which, however, he generally comes off 

 conqueror. Hawks and crows, the bald eagle, and 



the great black eagle, all equally dread a rencountei 

 with this dauntless little champion, who, as soon as 

 he perceives one of these last approaching, launches 

 into the air to meet him, mounts to a considerable 

 height above him, and darts down on his back, some- 

 times fixing there to the great annoyance of his sove- 

 reign, who, if no convenient retreat or resting-place be 

 near, endeavours by various evolutions to rid himself 

 of his merciless adversary. But the King-bird is not so 

 easily dismounted. He teases the eagle incessantly, 

 sweeps upon him from right and left, remounts, that 

 he may descend on his back with the greater violence ; 

 all the while keeping up a shrill and rapid twittering, 

 and continuing the attack sometimes for more than a 

 mile, till he is relieved by some other of his tribe, 

 equally eager for the contest." The only bird which 

 appears to get the better of the King-bird in these 

 encounters is the Purple Martin, whose determined 

 enmity to all birds of prey is somewhat like his own. 

 The power of wing possessed by the martin is so great, 

 that the King-bird has little chance of touching him, 

 and occasionally the attacked party becomes the 

 attacker, when the King-bird is compelled to seek 

 safety in an ignominious flight, before the rapid and 

 easy swoops of his assailant. Wilson says that he has 

 also seen the King-bird greatly irritated by his vain 

 efforts to dislodge the Redheaded Woodpecker, the 

 latter dodging him round a rail, and appearing highly 

 amused at the impotent rage of his assailant. This 

 quarrelsome demeanour is laid down by the King-bird 

 at the close of the breeding season, and he then be- 

 comes a peaceable denizen of the wood or the orchard. 



This bird arrives in the United States from his winter 

 quarters about the month of April, generally in small 

 parties of five or six. The nest is built on the branch 

 of a tree, and composed of small twigs and dried 

 flowers, interwoven with tow and wool, and made 

 very compact. The lining consists of fine grass and 

 horsehair. The eggs, which are usually five in num- 

 ber, are cream-coloured, with a few large purple spots 

 and small pale brown ones, principally at the larger end. 



The only song of this bird is a shrill twitter. His 

 food consists principally of insects, which he captures, 

 sometimes by flying steadily over the fields, and dash- 

 ing down upon them as they pass below him, and 

 sometimes in the manner of the ordinary Flycatchers, 

 by taking his position on the summit of a post or tall 

 weed, and sweeping off after them as they pass. 

 Under the latter circumstances, he is observed to 

 exercise a certain amount of discrimination in select- 

 ing his prey, often allowing two or three insects to fly 

 by him, before he makes his dash. This has been 

 repeatedly noticed in the case' of bees, a species of 

 food to which he is partial, and his fondness for which 

 often leads to his destruction by the owners of the 

 hives ; when he takes up his position to watch a bee- 

 hive, he is seen evidently to select certain individuals 

 from the crowd of passers in and out. 



THE CRESTED TYRANT (Tyrannus crinitus) is a 

 little larger than the preceding species, which it re- 

 sembles in its general habits, but does not attack 

 birds of prey in the same way. This bird builds its 

 nest in the hole of a tree, constructing it of hay, fea- 



