TYRANT FLYCATCHER, OR KING BIRD. 2 2\ 



All danger o'er, he hastens back elate, 

 To guard his post, and feed his faithful mate. 

 Behold him now, his little family flown, 

 Meek, unassuming, silent, and alone ; 

 Lured by the well-known hum of favourite bees, 

 As slow he hovers o'er the garden trees 

 (For all have failings, passions, whims that lead, 

 Some favourite wish, some appetite to feed) ; 

 Straight he alights, and, from the pear tree, spies 

 The circling stream of humming insects rise ; 

 Selects his prey ; darts on the busy brood, 

 And shrilly twitter3 o'er his savoury food. 



Ah ! ill-timed triumph ! direful note to thee, 

 That guides thy murderer to the fatal tree ; 

 See where he skulks ! and takes his gloomy stand, 

 The deep-charged musket hanging in his hand ; 

 And, gaunt for blood, he leans it on a rest, 

 Prepared, and pointed at thy snow-white breast. 

 Ah, friend ! good friend ! forbear that barbarous deed, 

 Against it valour, goodness, pity, plead ; 

 If e'er a family's griefs, a widow's woe, 

 Have reached thy soul, in mercy let him go ! 

 Yet, should the tear of pity nought avail, 

 Let interest speak, let gratitude prevail ; 

 Kill not thy friend, who thy whole harvest shields, 

 And sweeps ten thousand vermin from thy fields ; 

 Think how this dauntless bird, thy poultry's guard, 

 Drove every hawk and eagle from thy yard ; 

 Watched round thy cattle as they fed, and slew 

 The hungry blackening swarms that round them flew ; 

 Some small return — some little right resign, 

 And spare his life whose services are thine ! 



I plead in vain ! Amid the bursting roar, 



The poor lost king bird welters in his gore ! 



This species is eight inches long, and fourteen in extent ; 

 the general colour above is a dark slaty ash ; the head and 

 tail are nearly black ; the latter even at the end, and tipt with 

 white ; the wings are more of a brownish cast ; the quills and 

 wing-coverts are also edged with dull white ; the upper part 

 of the breast is tinged with ash ; the throat, and all the rest 

 of the lower parts, are pure white ; the plumage on the crown, 

 though not forming a crest, is frequently erected, as represented 

 in the plate, and discovers a rich bed of brilliant orange, or 



