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OUR SOUTHERN BIRDS 



The male Kingbird is usually seen sitting or 

 rather standing very erect on a dead twig or 

 other perch having an unobstructed outlook, on 

 the watch, Flycatcher fashion, for passing in- 

 sects. While his mate is sitting on her eggs he 

 takes a position not far away, and is very affec- 

 tionate and attentive to 

 her, guarding the nest 

 while she goes out to seek 

 food, and singing a few 

 pleasing notes to her be- 

 fore daybreak. When the 

 young make their way out 

 of the brown-spotted eggs, 

 he becomes a devoted 

 father, untiring in the 

 labor of catching insects 

 for them. 



Does he, or does he 

 not, earn his nickname of 

 Bee-Martin by eating 

 honeybees? Some bee- 

 keepers have told me that he sits on a perch near 

 the hive on purpose, and seizes the little workers 

 as they fly out and in. But certain ornithologists 

 w x ho have taken pains to dissect the bodies of 

 various species of birds and determine what was 

 actually in the crops, declare that the Kingbird 

 does not eat worker bees, who have stings, but 



KINGBIRD 

 Length 8% inches 



