FLYCATCHERS 249 



Assiniboia and Britisli Columbia south through Lower California ; migrates 

 tlirough western Mexico to Guatemala. 



Nest. — In bushes or trees usually not far from the ground, made of 

 twigs, weed stems, plant fibers, rootlets, wool, cocoons, hair, feathers, 

 string-, thistle down, and paper. Eyys: usually 4, similar to those of Tyran- 

 nus tyr annus. 



Food. — Mainly grasshoppers, with moths, butterflies, flies, wing-ed ants, 

 caterpillars, and large black crickets. 



The Arkansas kingbird is a masterful, positive character, and when 

 you come into his neighborhood you are ver}- likely to know it, for 

 he seems to be always screaming and scrimmaging. If he is not over- 

 head twisting and turning with wings open and square tail spread 

 s« wide that it shows the white lines that border it, he is climbing 

 up the air claw to claw with a rival, falling to ground clinched witli 

 him, or dashing after a hawk, screaming in thin falsetto like a scis- 

 sor-tail flycatcher. A passing enemy is allowed no time to loiter 

 but driven from the field with impetuous onslaught and clang of 

 trumpets. Be he crow, hawk, or owl, he is escorted to a safe dis- 

 tance, sometimes actually ridden by the angry kingbird, who, like 

 the scissor-tail, enforces his screams with sharp pecks on the back. 



When there is no one within scrapping distance he may be seen 

 l)crching on a meadow fence or telegraph wire, for he is a bird of 

 the open country. When perched he is on the lookout for insects, 

 and dashes out for one to soar back on outspread wings and tail, 

 shrieking triumphantly as he comes. His notes have the thin high 

 pitch and somctiiing of the emphasis and iteration of the coyote. 



448. Tyrannus vociferans Swains. Cassin Kingbird. 



Adults. — Upper parts and breast dark gray, chin abruptly white ; belly 

 lemon yellow ; tail dull black indistinctly 

 tipped with grayish, outer web of outer feather 

 indistinctly edg-ed with grayish; winy with tips 

 of lonyest primaries abruj)t/y cut out ; crown with 

 concealed red patch. Youny : duller, wing- 

 coverts edged with rusty, crown patch wanting-. 

 Fi>r. li'JC. Lemith: .s.7.")-« ».()(», wiiig- r).00-r),40, tail ;5.70- 



4. •_'(). bill fr<.m nostril ..").')-.()(). 

 Distribution. — I>reeds irregularly in Transition, but chiefly in Upper 

 and Lower Sonoran zones from the eastern slopes of the Kocky Mountains 

 to southern Wyoming-, western Texas. New Mexico, .and Arizona, and from 

 Oregon soutli to Lower ('.alifornia and the mountains bordering- the Mexi- 

 can tal)lelands ; straying- south to Costa Kic.-i. 



Sist. — IJnIky. of similar materials to that of rerticidis. placed generally 

 "JO to 40 feet fnim the ground, n«!ar the end of a hoiizontal limb in syca- 

 more, cottonwt)o(l, or otlier tree. Kyys : '1 to .'>, similar to those of Tyran- 

 nus tyrannus. 



Food. — Mainly insects, including gra.sshoppers, locusts, and caterpillai-s. 



The Cassin kingbird, .Major licndire says, isneitiier as noisy nor as 

 (Hiarrelsomc as the Arkansas. Though it ne^u in the valleys with 



