138 NORTHERN ZOOLOGY. 



it in specimens or books ; but should it really exist in nature, it may deservedly 

 bear the name of T. Vieillotii. — Sw. 



The well known King-bird is common on the banks of the Saskatchewan, and 

 ranges in summer to the fifty-seventh parallel of latitude, or beyond it. It arrives 

 at Carlton-house early in May, and retires, after having reared its young, in the 

 beginning of September, wintering to the southward even of Georgia. It is 

 seen during summer in all parts of the United States, and breeds in Penn- 

 sylvania, and most probably in all the intermediate districts to the middle of the 

 fur countries. Its jealousy of the intrusion of other birds into its haunts in 

 the breeding season, and the boldness and activity with which it attacks and 

 drives off even the biggest and fiercest of the birds of prey, has been well described 

 by Catesby, and other writers on American Natural History, but by none with the 

 minuteness, truth, and poetical feeling of Wilson. It is of the King-bird that 

 Mr. Drummond speaks in the following passage of a letter relating to the birds 

 he noticed at Carlton-house : — u There is another small bird that deserves to be 

 noticed for the courage with which it attacks all others that venture near its resi- 

 dence : it is a species of Fly-catcher, about the size of a lark ; and the manner in 

 which it assaults a large bird is truly amusing. It soars above its opponent, and 

 then darting down on its back, applies its beak, with all the strength it possesses, 

 to its head, sometimes remaining in this position for a minute or more, and then 

 returns in triumph to its station on the top of some neighbouring bush or small 

 tree, where it resumes the occupation of watching for flies*. During the whole 

 of this attack it utters a shrill chattering note with great vehemence. 



" The King-birds arrive in Pennsylvania about the twentieth of April, some- 

 times in small bodies of five or six together, and are at first very silent, until they 

 begin to pair and build their nest. This generally takes place about the first 

 week in May. The nest is very often built in the orchard, on the horizontal 

 branch of an apple-tree ; frequently also, as Catesby observes, on a sassafras-tree, 

 at no great height from the ground. The outside consists of small slender 

 twigs, tops of withered flowers of the plant yarrow, and others, well wove together 

 with tow and wool, and is made large, and remarkably firm and compact. It is 

 usually lined with fine, dry, fibrous grass, and horsehair. The eggs are five, of a 

 very pale cream-colour, or dull white, marked with a few large spots of deep 

 purple, and other smaller ones of light brown, chiefly, though not altogether, 

 towards the great end. They generally build twice in the season." 



* Botanical Miscellany, by W. J. Hooker, ii. p. 186. 



