KINGBIRD. 



whether he utters his note for any other reason than to 

 " keep himself company." He will frequently feed from 

 a bunch of flowers held in the hand, and occasionally 

 flies in the house in search of sweets. The reason he 

 holds an apparently secure position among a host of 

 birds whose size and strength are more than tenfold as 

 great as his own, is because he is so absolutely fearless 

 and pugnacious. He is a great fighter, and holds his 

 own by the point of his bill. Ralph Hoffmann, in Bird 

 Portraits, says: "Though the birds are very irritable 

 and pugnacious when wild, frequently attacking each 

 other with shrill squeaks, yet in captivity they prove 

 very gentle and almost affectionate." 



ORDER PASSERES. PERCHING BIRDS. 

 Family Tyrannidce. FLYCATCHERS. 



The Flycatchers are distinguished for their habit of 

 catching insects on the wing; they leave their perch 

 and snap up the passing insect with unerring aim. All 

 are poor song birds except the Wood Pewee, who has 

 exceptional ability in tone expression. There are over 

 thirty species in the United States, and less than a third 

 of these are common in our part of the country. 



Kingbird The Kingbird is another pugnacious 



Tyrannus character. Apparently he spends most of 



tyrannus .. ^ . , , . . 



L. 8.50 inches " 1S time m chasing insects or in driving 

 May isth other birds off his territory. He has a 



good deal of style for a rather plain bird, which is 

 evidenced in his crested black head and beautifully 

 toned gray-white breast, as well as his dignified if not 

 defiant, straight carriage. The upper parts are slate 

 gray; smoky black on head and shoulders; tail black, 

 tip margined white, a conspicuous mark for identifi- 

 cation; an orange-red crown-patch is hidden by the dark 

 feathers of the head except when the whole crest is erect; 

 under parts dull white tinged with gray on the breast. 

 Female similar. Nest, compact and circular, woven of 

 grass, moss, weed-stalks, and rootlets, lined with plant- 

 cjown and similar soft material. It is generally situated 



35 



