EASTERN PHOEBE 145 



yellowish white ; the under parts arc yelloAvish white, with brownish 

 "olive-gray" on the sides of the throat and breast. 



A partial postjuvenal molt begins about the middle of August, 

 involving all but the primaries, secondaries, and rectrices and pro- 

 ducing the first winter plumage, which is much like that of the fall 

 adult. The young bird in this plumage is greener above and yel- 

 lower below, "primrose yellow," than in the ju venal plumage; the 

 wing coverts are now narrowly edged with yellowish white. This 

 plumage is apparently worn all through the winter and spring, 

 with no change except b}' wear and fading. 



The postnuptial molt of both young and old birds occurs in 

 August and September, before the birds migrate, and is complete. 

 Fall and winter birds are more olive above and yellower below, 

 "'primrose yellow," than spring birds, and the light wing edgings 

 are tinged with yellow; all these bright colors fade or wear away 

 before spring. The sexes are alike in all plumages.] 



Pood. — F. E. L. Beal (1912). in a comprehensive examination of 

 370 stomachs found the food of the phoebe "to consist of 89.23 per 

 cent of animal matter to 10.77 of vegetable. The animal portion is 

 composed of insects, with some spiders and myriapods, a gordius, 

 and one bone of a tree frog. The vegetable part is made up of 

 small fruits or berries, with a few seeds, all of them probably of 

 wild species." The more important results of BeaPs investigation 

 are quoted below: 



Useful beetles, consisting of tiger beetles (Cicindelidae), predaceous ground 

 beetles (Carabidae), and ladybirds (Coccinellidae), amount to 2.68 per cent. 

 Other beetles, belonging to 21 families that were identified, make up 12.65 

 per cent. They appear to be eaten very regularly in every month, but the 

 most are taken in spring and early summer. May is the month of maximum 

 consumption with 23.67 per cent. Beetles altogether amount to 15.33 per 

 cent, which places them as second in rank of the items of animal food. The 

 notorious cotton-boll weevil {Anthonomns grandis) was found in 6 stomachs 

 taken in the cotton fields of Texas and Louisiana * * * 



In the phoebe's diet Hymenoptera stand at the head, as is the case with 

 most of the flycatchers. They are eaten with great regularity and are the 

 largest item in nearly every month. A few of them are the useful parasitic 

 species, which are, however, offset by quite a number of sawfly larvae, which 

 are very harmful insects. • * * 



The maximum amount of Hymenoptera was taken in August, when they 

 aggregated 39.66 per cent. They constituted the entire contents of 7 stomachs, 

 and were found altogether in 225, which would seem to establish these insects 

 as the favorite food of the phoebe. In bulk they amount to 26.69 per cent 

 of the yearly diet. 



Diptera aggregate 6.89 per cent, and are a vei-y constant, though small ele- 

 ment of the food. * * * Hemiptera (bugs) seem to be sought for rather 

 more than flies, as they were found in 151 stomachs, but only one was entirely 

 filled with them. Very curiously these were leaf hoppers (Jassidne), lively 

 little creatures that live on grass and leaves and jump like fleas. * * * 



