638 



ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 



ing on oats, but this is accounted for by 

 the fact that oats grow wild over much 

 of the state. Weed seeds are the largest 

 single element of food. The insect food, 

 about 20 per cent of the whole, includes 

 such pests as May beetles and their 

 larvae (white grubs), leaf beetles, clover- 

 leaf and clover-root weevils, the potato- 

 stalk borer, nut weevils, billbugs, and the 

 chinch bug. Grasshoppers are a favorite 

 food, and cutworms are freely eaten. The 

 horned larks, on the whole, may be con- 

 sidered useful birds. 



Arkansas Kiugbird 



Tyrannus verticals 

 Length, nine inches. The white edge 

 of the feather on each side of the tail 

 distinguishes this from all other fly 

 catchers except the gray and salmon- 

 colored scissortail of Texas. 



Range 



Breeds from Minnesota, Kansas and 

 Texas to the Pacific ocean and from 

 Northern Mexico to Southern Canada; 

 winters from Mexico to Guatemala. 



Habits and Economic Status 



The Arkansas kingbird is not so do- 

 mestic as its Eastern relative and seems 

 to prefer the hill country with scattered 

 oaks rather than the orchard or the vi- 

 cinity of ranch buildings, but it some- 

 times places its rude and conspicuous nest 

 In trees on village streets. The bird's 

 yearly food is composed of 87 per cent 

 animal matter and 13 per cent vegetable. 

 The animal food is composed almost en- 

 tirely of insects. Like the Eastern spe- 

 cies, it has been accused of destroying 

 honeybees to a harmful extent, and re- 

 mains of honeybees were found to con- 

 stitute five per cent of the food of the 

 individuals examined, but nearly all those 

 eaten were drones. Bees and wasps, in 

 general, are the biggest item of food (38 

 per cent), grasshoppers and crickets 

 stand next (20 per cent), and beetles, 

 mostly of noxious species, constitute 14 

 per cent of the food. The vegetable food 

 consists mostly of fruit, such as the elder 

 and other berries, with a few seeds. This 

 bird should be strictly preserved. 



Kin§r')ird 



Tyrannus tyrannus 



Length, about eight and one-half 

 inches. The white lower surface and 

 white-tipped tail distinguish this fly 

 catcher. 



Range 



Breeds throughout the United States 

 (except the southwestern part) and 

 Southern Canada; winters from Mexico 

 to South America. 



Habits and Economic Statns 



The kingbird is a pronounced enemy of 

 hawks and crows, which it vigorously at- 

 tacks at every opportunity, thereby af- 

 fording efficient protection to nearby 

 poultry yards and young chickens at 

 large. It loves the open country and is 

 especially fond of orchards and trees 

 about farm buildings. No less than 85 

 per cent of its food consists of insects, 

 mostly of a harmful nature. It eats the 

 common rose chafer or rose bug, and 

 more remarkable still it devours blister 

 beetles freely. The bird has been accused 

 of eating honeybees to an injurious ex- 

 tent, but there is little ground for the 

 accusation, as appears from the fact that 

 examination of 634 stomachs showed only 

 61 bees in 22 stomachs. Of these 51 were 

 useless drones. On the other hand, it 

 devours robber flies, which catch and de- 

 stroy honeybees. Grasshoppers and 

 crickets, with a few bugs and some cut 

 worms, and a few other insects, make up 

 the rest of the animal food. The veget- 

 able food consists of fruit and a few 

 seeds. The kingbird deserves full pro- 

 tection. 



Nightliawk 



Chordei les v i rp i n ia » u s 



Length, 10 inches. Not to be confused 

 with the whippoorwill. The latter lives 

 in woodland and is chiefly nocturnal. The 

 nighthawk often flies by day, when the 

 white bar across the wing and its nasal 

 cry are distinguishing. 



Range 



Breeds throughout most of the United 

 States and Canada; winters in South 

 America. 



