126 BULLETIN 17 9, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Food. — We have practically no positive and accurate information on 

 the food of this flycatcher. It is said to consist largely of beetles, 

 but doubtless includes many other kinds of flying insects, which it 

 captures in the air, and perhaps some wild berries and fruits. All 

 flycatchers eat some useful insects, but a much larger number of 

 harmful ones. They may therefore be classed as more beneficial than 

 otherwise. There was a large apiary near the saguaro plains where 

 we found these flycatchers breeding, but we heard no complaint from 

 the owner that the flycatchers destroyed any numbers of bees. 



Behavior. — Like its eastern relative, the Arizona crested flycatcher 

 is a noisy, active, quarrelsome bird. Although not so bold and ag- 

 gressive in its attacks on larger birds as are the kingbirds, it indulges 

 in many squabbles with its smaller neighbors for the possession of 

 nesting sites and is always ready to pick a fight with one, if it 

 comes too near. However, it seems to live and rear its young, perhaps 

 in a state of armed neutrality, among the various other species that 

 occupy the ready-made homes in the saguaros. Against the intrusion 

 of human beings loud vocal protests are made and considerable agi- 

 tation is shown, but the flycatchers are too shy actively to attack the 

 intruder; they generally remain at a safe distance and make up in 

 noise for what they lack in courage. 



Yoice. — They have a variety of loud, harsh notes, which reminded 

 me of similar calls of the eastern bird. One of the commonest notes 

 sounds like "come here, come here," strongly accented on the last syl- 

 lable; a loud, clear, whistling note is also often heard, which is not 

 unmusical. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — Southern Texas and Arizona, and Mexico south to Hon- 

 duras and El Salvador. Not regularly migratory. 



The range of our two races of crested flycatcher extends north to 

 southeastern California (Bard) ; central Arizona (Big Sandy Creek, 

 Fort Verde, Roosevelt Lake, and Paradise) ; and southern Texas 

 (Corpus Christi). East to Texas (Corpus Christi, Mercedes, and 

 Fort Brown) ; Tamaulipas (Soto la Marina and Tampico) ; Yucatan 

 (Merida and Temax) ; Quintana Roo (Cozumel Island) ; and Hon- 

 duras (Roatan Island and Truxillo). South to Honduras (Truxillo, 

 La Ceiba, and San Pedro) ; El Salvador (Acajutla) ; Guatemala 

 (Puebla) ; Chiapas (San Benito) ; Oaxaca (Santa Efigenia and Te- 

 huantepec) ; and Guerrero (Coyuca). West to Guerrero (Coyuca and 

 Acahuitzotla) ; Jalisco (Guadalajara) ; Nayarit (Tres Marias Islands 

 and Santiago) ; Sinaloa (Escuinapa and Mazatlan) ; Sonora (Ortiz 

 and Nogales) ; and southeastern California (Bard). 



The range as outlined is for the two races that extend into the 

 United States. The Arizona crested flycatcher {Myiarchtis t. mag- 



