10 THE KINGBIRD'S NEST. 



throats grew clamorous, he hovered over the 

 rank grass on the low land of the shore, wings 

 beating, tail wide spread, diving now and then 

 for an instant to snatch a morsel; and every 

 thirty minutes, as punctually as if he carried a 

 watch in his trim white vest, he took a direct 

 line for the home where his mate sat waiting. 



A few days after the little dame took posses- 

 sion of the nest, the kingbird had succeeded, 

 without much trouble, in making most of his 

 fellow-creatures understand that he laid claim 

 to the upper branches of the oak, and was pre- 

 pared to defend them against all comers, and 

 they simply gave the tree a wide berth in pass- 

 ing. 



Apparently deceived by his former indiffer- 

 ence, however, the robin above mentioned pre- 

 sumed to call somewhat later. This time she 

 was received in a manner that plainly showed 

 she was no longer welcome. She retired, but 

 she expressed her mind freely for some time, sit- 

 ting on the fence below. With true robin per- 

 sistence she did not give it up, and she selected 

 for her next call the dusk of evening, just before 

 going to bed. 



This time both kingbirds flung themselves 

 after her, and she left, "laughing" as she went. 

 The kingbirds did not follow beyond their own 

 borders, and the robin soon returned to the near- 



