154 meropid*:. 



resembling that of the pigeon. When flying, he flaps his 

 wings very hurriedly, and tumbles frequently over and over. 

 The temper of these birds is very turbulent and quarrelsome ; 

 they bite and fight with those of their own species, although 

 they are in the habit of living very amicably with other 

 birds, except the birds of prey. Their battles are carried to 

 such an extent that they frequently fall to the ground toge- 

 ther hanging by their beaks, and become in this state the prey 

 of foxes, dogs, &c. ; and in these angry contests they often 

 pull bunches of feathers out of each other's heads, so that a 

 specimen when obtained has frequently the head partly divested 

 of feathers, or young feathers in the quills are seen about it, 

 which can only be attributed to this cause, as these birds 

 do not moult during the time they remain in our climate. 

 Although they are so pugnacious and quarrelsome, they are 

 usually observed to breed in society, one single pair being 

 rarely seen alone at that period. When these birds arrive 

 at their summer breeding-place, the males commence their 

 vociferous and noisy quarrels, which continue until their 

 mates are chosen, and they begin to be employed in the 

 cares of incubation. The localities usually chosen for this 

 purpose are the outskirts of woods of birch intermixed with 

 oaks or pine trees ; they build their nest in a hole in a tree, 

 preferring shallow places, which they line with small fibres, 

 straw, feathers, and hair, on which the female deposits from 

 four to six very polished white eggs ; these are incubated 

 by both male and female during three weeks, and the parent 

 birds sit so very close that they are frequently taken with 

 the greatest ease upon the nest. The young are fed by 

 the parents with insects and their larvse. They are soon 

 able to leave the nest and follow the parent birds into the 

 fields, where they may be seen seated upon an elevation such 

 as a stone or naked branch, from which they dart at the 

 passing insects in the manner pursued by the flycatchers. 





