KING BIRD. 
173 
DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 
Nests, placed in trees, rather bulky structures, composed of grass, weeds, of which the common everlasting usually forms 
the greater part, and roots, lined with fine grass and rootlets. Dimensions, external diameter, 4 - 50, internal, 2'50. Exter¬ 
nal depth, 2‘50, internal, 1'50. 
Eggs, four to five in number, oval in form, pale-buff in color, spotted and blotched irregularly with umber and lilac. 
Dimensions from TOO x '75 to ‘85 x ‘65. 
HABITS. 
About the second week in May, when the advancing vegetation has given assurance 
that the cold season has fairly passed, the peculiar, shrill, continuous cries of the King 
Birds are heard in the open fields and orchards of New England. The males arrive first 
and with a characteristic promptness which this species ever displays, each individual selects 
some particular spot as a home and guards it with great assiduity. A few days later the 
females arrive and both soon begin the duties of nest building. The King Birds in certain 
districts appear to prefer particular kinds of trees in which to place their domiciles. Thus 
in some sections it is quite difficult to find a nest which is not built in a buttonwood. In 
other localities the birds select apple trees, while in some places they show a predilection for 
bushes which overhang the water. They never build in very close assemblies for in no case 
will one pair allow another to settle very near them, but they sometimes exhibit a decid¬ 
ed inclination to sociability by building in detached communities. When family affairs 
are fairly under way, and the female is sitting, the male redoubles his watchfulness but 
when the young appear both parents guard the vicinity of the nest with the most jealous 
care. Then, all such enemies to small birds as Crows and Hawks are obliged to exercise 
care while passing near a King Bird’s nest, for upon the appearance of one of these birds 
he is instantly attacked with a fury that cannot be resisted, for the King Bird is both 
powerful and agile. I have seen an unfortunate Crow which was merely flying over an 
orchard in which a pair of these irascible birds had a home, assailed and not only driven 
from the spot but pursued for half a mile. 
The boldness of the King Birds is noticeable and their attacks even to species much 
larger than themselves is no trifling matter, for they do not, like many other birds under 
similar circumstances, merely dash at the object of their dislike and pass it without touch¬ 
ing it, but they strike so hard with their sharp beaks as to frequently make the feathers 
fly. At any rate, I never saw a Crow or Hawk but what would retreat as hastily as possi¬ 
ble, their usual plan being to rise very high in the air, thus escaping the persecutions of 
the persistant little tyrants. Even cats are ignominiously driven from the field by the brave 
King Birds. Cats are very cowardly when they are obliged to encounter any danger 
which they do not understand, and I once saw one badly frightened by a Chipping Sparrow. 
This particular animal was notably brave and would seldom retreat before a dog, but in 
the case in hand the Sparrow alighted directly upon her head as she was about to spring 
upon its young, chirping loudly, at the same time pecking her ears fiercely. The Cat 
was completely mystified by this strange proceeding and instantly rushed away, shaking 
her head as she ran, thus dismounting the bird. The downward swoops of the Flycatchers 
which are always accompanied by loud screams judiciously delivered by the birds at the 
