THE KING BIRD. lOo 



bird, until one, more "lucky" than the rest, strikes 

 the deadly blow. The writer still rem-embers with 

 what sorrowful feelings, when a boy, he once held in 

 his hand tho body of a Pewee, which with a random 

 toss of a stone he had deprived of life. Could all 

 children feel as he then felt, how wrong it is wan- 

 tonly to destroy that life which all have an equal 

 right to enjoy, they would cease to make sport of it, 

 and this charming little songster would possess to the 

 full that security to which he is justly entitled. 



The Pewee often returns to a favorite summer re- 

 sort for several successive years, occupying the same 

 nest each season, merely repairing the injuries which 

 it has received during the Winter. Audubon speaks 

 of his having found the same pair of birds occupying 

 a familiar nook in an old cavern which he had been 

 accustomed to visit for a number of years. At one 

 time he fastened to the legs of each of a brood of 

 young birds, the oifspring of this pair, a ring of sil- 

 ver thread ; these they carried about with them for 

 some time, and in the following Spring two of them 

 were seen in the same vicinity, still wearing the sil- 

 ver ring. 



The King Bird, or Tyrant Fly-catcher, is also a 

 familiar summer visitant. Although by no means a 

 large bird, he is nevertheless gifted with a degree 

 of courage that would do justice to the largest of our 

 feathered race ; and being remarkably quick and ac- 

 tive upon the wing, he becomes a formidable enemy 

 to such of his neighbors as have the temerity to en- 

 • croaoh upon his dominions. In the early part of tha 



