CHAPTER NINETEEN 



THE FLYCATCHERS 



ALL the birds which have 

 previously been described are 

 classed as song birds, al- 

 though some of them are 

 hardly musical. Those that 

 we shall study in the remain- 

 ing chapters of the book are 

 not song birds. Among these 

 the flycatchers are a promi- 

 nent family. Their voices 

 are not so well developed as 

 are usually those of the song 

 birds, but the notes of some 

 of them are quite pleasing. 

 The beak has a wide gape, 

 and there are spreading bris- 

 tles at the sides of the mouth 

 which make the mouth well 



adapted for seizing the flying insects on which they 

 feed. 



The kingbird. The kingbird is smaller than the robin. 

 Its upper parts are quite dark colored and its under 

 parts white or nearly so. The tail is broad at the 

 end and shows a white terminal border that makes a 

 strong contrast with the rest of the tail and the back. 

 On the middle of the head is a bright orange-red crown, 

 which is concealed by other feathers except when the 

 bird wishes to display it. The crown suggests the 

 name of this species, but the kingbird also dominates 



349 



U. S. Dept. Agriculture 



FIG. 215. The scissor-tailed fly- 

 catcher. 



