'°is9^'"'] TKOCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. fjoO 



1 am iucliiied to tbiuk. that while there is much truth iu the latter view 

 the former is uot wroug, as the above goes to show, aud the aerial activ- 

 ity of the flycatcher saves him from any attempt the hawks may luake 

 to summarily end the persecution. 



The Kingbird has a peculiar method of expressing his devotion to 

 his mate. On the warm spring evenings he may be seen leaving his 

 post by her side, in some low tree, and launching out he rises to a 

 height of 30 or 40 feet iu the air and gives vent to a tremendous sus- 

 tained volley of screams aud twitters, during which he continues to 

 dart backward and forward in a frantic sort of a way, making a very 

 demonstrative but harmless charge at any passing bird, and illustrat- 

 ing several fanciful methods of flight until, having relieved his feelings 

 and covered himself with glory, he swoops down into the bush to re- 

 ceive the applause of the only spectator he seeks to please. The food 

 of this bird consists chiefly of coleopterous insects, but I have occa- 

 sionally found seeds in its gizzard. In the pursuit of its ordinary prey 

 it may often be seen far out in the prairie, miles from any trees. Under 

 these circumstances it avails" itself of the tall weeds as perches, or, 

 failing these, settles on the groniul. The young continue with the par- 

 ents until all move southward. 



The well kaowu Kiugbird or Tyrant V\y-ca,tchtiv {Ti/t annit.'i cayolinensis) is abuiulaiit 

 iu Mauitoba. A iiioro fearless, iiKHiisitive, pugnacious, aud warlike bird it isdifiiculb 

 to iuiagine. Often when I have shot a bird as a specimen, up lias Uown a Kiugbird 

 with a luauucr which gave him the appearance of saying, "Now, whai's going on 

 here?" To see a Kingbird dash at and attack a huge harrier, for no other purposje 

 whatsoever than to have a light, is a tiling of conuuon occnrriiuce, and the harrier 

 always tries to avoid and escape from his assailant. The Kingbird breeds in the low 

 scrubby oak trees which cover the sand hills, building, like the shrike, a nest con- 

 sisting largely of the stalks of a species of GnaphaJiani. After the young are able to 

 fiy they often live rouud the settlers' houses ou the open prairie, but about the end 

 of August they all leave. (Christy.) 



During August I freciuently saw these birds drop onto the surface of the water 

 of the Red River and renniin there Uoating down with the current for some minutes 

 at a time. Occasionally they would, whilst there, work their wings as other birds do 

 when bathing, aud so wash themselves. (Nash, in MS>S.) 



148. Myiarchiis crinitiis. Crested Flycatcher. 



Very rare; summer resident of thick woods. Winnipeg: Summer resi- 

 dent; tolerably common; a few taken (Hine). Lake Manitoba: June 17, 

 1881 (Macoun). I frequently heard the sonorous croak of this bird in the 

 Carberry spruce bush, but never satisfactorily established its presence 

 there until the summer of 188G, when my brother. Dr. Arthur S.Thomp- 

 son, sent me a, male specimen, killed there on June 6 (Thompson). 

 Portage la L*rairie: Kare summer resident; one pair bred in the woods 

 Bear the Assiniboiue River each year (Nash). 



