18 Kopman, Birds of Louisiana. uan. 



Coast of Mississippi about the growths of "wild sage" (Calamintha coc- 

 cinea) in the pineries. 



192. Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Muscivora forficaia) . The occur- 

 rence of this species in Louisiana, with the possible exception of the extreme 

 western portion of the State, is decidedly infrequent, not to say casual. 

 I have never had the good fortune to observe it, and I know of no one who 

 has observed it more than a few times. I have seen a specimen killed near 

 New Orleans in the fall, and 1 think its occurrence is most apt to be noted 

 at that season. It is doubtless present sometimes as a breeder in the 

 western part of the State. 



193. Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus). Common everywhere as a 

 transient in Louisiana, especially in the fall, and common as a breeder in 

 most parts of the State. Coastwise, it is commoner as a breeder in the 

 prairie section of the central southern and southwestern portions of the 

 State than in the wet, wooded alluvial region of the southeast. It is rare 

 as a breeder at New Orleans; in fact, I have few records of its occurrence 

 in the region immediately about the city in the breeding season. At 

 various points within thirty miles to the east, south and west, however, 

 I have found it fairly common in the breeding season on several occasions. 

 It is regularly common as a breeder in extreme southern Louisiana, how- 

 ever, west of the Atchafalaya river. 



The Kingbird usually arrives at New Orleans the last week in March, 

 the earliest date of arrival being March 23, 1895 and 1904. While a few 

 doubtless always arrive at this time, its appearance does not become general 

 until April 4 or 5, which is the date when the first are usually seen on the 

 Mississippi coast. 



The Kingbird is extremely abundant as a transient in southern Louisiana 

 from about August 25 to Sept. 25. It is seldom seen after Oct. 1. I noted 

 a straggler at Biloxi, Miss., however, on Oct. 23, 1905. 



In the piney sections of southeastern Louisiana and southern Mississippi, 

 the Kingbird feeds extensively in the fall on the ripened seeds of the two 

 common native magnolias (M. foetida and M. virginiana). Wherever it 

 finds the former of these two species transplanted in the wet wooded allu- 

 vial section of southeast Louisiana, it occurs in the greatest numbers. This 

 is particularly true in the suburban sections of New Orleans, where M. 

 foetida is a favorite shade tree, though not a native of the surrounding woods, 

 or swamps, as commonly supposed. 



194. Arkansas Kingbird {Tyrannus verticalis). A specimen of this 

 species taken at Mandeville, La., in September, 1914, is in the Louisiana 

 State Museum. The specimen was taken by the taxidermist of that insti- 

 tution, Mr. George Schneider. 



195. Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus). There is absolutely 

 nothing exceptional with reference to the occurrence of the Crested Fly- 

 catcher in Louisiana so far as I have been able to learn. It is not quite 

 so common in the swampy section of the southeast as in other wooded 

 portions of the State, but wherever there is any considerable growth of 



