TYRANT FLYCATCHER. 



67 



King-bird is not so easily dismounted. — He teases the Eagle in- 

 cessantly, sweeps upon him from right and left, remounts, that he 

 may descend on his back with the greater violence; all the while 

 keeping up a shrill and rapid twittering ; and continuing the attack 

 sometimes for more than a mile, till he is relieved by some other 

 of his tribe equally eager for the contest. 



There is one bird, how ever, which by its superior rapidity of 

 flight, is sometimes more than a match for him; and I have several 

 times witnessed his precipitate retreat before this active antagonist. 

 This is the Purple Martin, one whose food and disposition is pretty 

 similar to his own; but who has greatly the advantage of him on 

 wing, in eluding ail his attacks, and teasing him as he pleases. I 

 have also seen the Red-headed Woodpecker, while clinging on a 

 rail of the fence, amuse himself with the violence of the King-bird, 

 and play bo-peep with him round the rail, while the latter, highly 

 irritated, made every attempt as he swept from side to side to strike 

 him, but in vain. All this turbulence, however, vanishes as soon 

 as his young are able to shift for themselves; and he is then as 

 mild and peaceable as any other bird. 



But he has a worse habit than all these; one much more ob- 

 noxious to the husbandman, and often fatal to himself. He loves, 

 not the honey, but the bees; and, it must be confessed, is frequently 

 on the look-out for these little industrious insects. He plants him- 

 self on a post of the fence, or on a small tree in the garden, not far 

 from the hives, and from thence sallies on them as they pass and 

 repass, making great havock among their numbers. His shrill 

 twitter, so near to the house, gives intimation to the farmer of what 

 is going on, and the gun soon closes his career for ever. Man ar- 

 rogates to himself, in this case, the exclusive privilege of murder; 

 and after putting thousands of these same little insects to death, 

 seizes on the fruits of their labour. 



The King-birds arrive in Pennsylvania about the twentieth of 

 April, sometimes in small bodies of five and six together, and are 



