TYRANT FLYCATCHER, OR KING BIRD. 
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to 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, however, 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 are pretty similar to his own, but who has 
greatly the advantage of him on wing, in eluding all his 
attacks, and teazing 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 w T orse habit than all these ; one much more 
obnoxious 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 himself 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 havoc 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 arrogates 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 20th of 
April, sometimes in small bodies of live and 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. 
