CHAPTER VI 

 THE PERCHING BIRDS concluded 



THE AMERICAN FLYCATCHERS 

 Families TrRANNiD^ to MENURID^E 



THE members of the Passerine order described in the four preceding chapters 

 are characterized by having the muscles of the syrinx, or organ of voice, attached 

 to the ends of the half rings of cartilage forming the windpipe, such muscles being 

 generally of a very complex type. Hence these birds are termed the Acromyodi. 

 Those remaining for consideration have, on the other hand, these muscles, which 

 are simple and frequently consist of only a single pair, attached to the middle of the 

 half rings of the windpipe, and they are accordingly known as the Mesomyodi. 

 Since none of them possess the high vocal powers of the first group, they are fre- 

 quently spoken of as the songless perching birds. As their name implies, the mem- 

 bers of the first family of this group are exclusively confined to the New World, 

 where they are represented by upward of four hundred species, the majority of 

 which are South American. Insectivorous in their habits, the typical members of the 

 family have the beak broadest at the base, from whence it tapers to a fine point, the 

 upper mandible being slightly notched; while the nostrils are basal, and overhung, 

 although not concealed, by bristles. The wing has ten primaries, and the tail, 

 which is generally even, although sometimes forked, is composed of twelve feathers. 

 The metatarsus is relatively short, and the foot weak. The range of these birds 

 extends from the Arctic region to Tierra del Fuego. 



The kingbird, or bee martin (Tyrannus carolinensis) , is well known 

 * n t ^ ie United States for the audacity with which it attacks crows, 

 owls, and hawks, and drives them away from the neighborhood of its 

 nest, and we have heard of a party of kingbirds harassing a swallow- tailed kite, 

 which eventually struck down one of its tormentors before it sailed away. The king- 

 bird builds a conspicuous nest, usually choosing an isolated tree, often in an exposed 

 situation; the nest being constructed of vegetable fibres and twigs, lined with horse- 

 hair, fine roots, and grass. The eggs are rosy white in ground color, spotted and 

 blotched with purple and reddish brown. Not possessing a true song, the kingbird 

 merely utters a monotonous succession of twitterings. This species owes its trivial 

 name of "bee bird" to its fondness for the honeybee; Dr. Coues stating that the 

 kingbird destroys a thousand noxious insects for every bee it eats. Feeding largely 

 upon winged insects, its flight, when in pursuit of insects, is accomplished by rapid 



(1703) 



