CHARACTER OF ONE KINGBIRD. 17 



kitchen will open, the dining-room follows, and 

 crumbs are sure to result. He wilt wait, and 

 meanwhile do his best to waken his purveyor. 



I found this to be the almost invariable pro- 

 gramme of kingbird life at this period: after 

 matins, the singer flew to the nest tree, and his 

 spouse went to her breakfast; in a few seconds 

 he dropped to the edge of the nest, looked long 

 and earnestly at the contents, then flew to one 

 of his usual perching-places near by, and re- 

 mained in silence till he saw the little mother 

 coming. During the day he relieved her at the 

 intervals mentioned, and at night, when she had 

 settled to rest, he stayed at his post on the fence 

 till almost too dark to be seen, and then took 

 his way, with a good-night greeting, to his sleep- 

 ing-place on the poplar. 



Thus matters went through June till the 29th, 

 when, at about four o'clock in the afternoon, 

 there was an unusual stir about the kingbird 

 castle. I saw that something had happened, and 

 this must open a new chapter. But before be- 

 ginning the chronicle of the kingbird babies, I 

 should like to give my testimony about one mem- 

 ber of the family. As a courteous and tender 

 spouse, as a devoted father and a brave defender 

 of his household, I know no one who outranks' 

 him. In attending to his own business and 

 never meddling with others, he is unexcelled. 



