34 



POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



twelve spiders and many broken remnants of others in the gullet 

 of a female humming bird that he dissected August 19, 1894. He 

 remarks that " the gullet was also well filled with honey." 



The swallows feed entirely on insects, securing them on the 

 wing. To accomplish this successfully they are provided with 



Ked-backed Sandpiper. Natural size. 



Chipping Sparrow. 

 Natural size. 



broad, short bills and a mouth which opens very wide, really 

 from eye to eye. The woodpeckers have large, chisel-like bills, 

 which they put to constant use in securing their food, most of 

 which they glean under dead bark on the trunks of trees. The 

 tongues of the woodpeckers, excepting the sapsuckers, have little 

 barbs on each side like the barbs of a fishhook ; this little instru- 

 ment, we may readily understand, proves very useful in captur- 

 ing their prey. The sapsucker has a sort of brushlike arrange- 

 ment at the end of the tongue which aids him in collecting his 

 food. The woodpeckers feed mainly on insects, beetles, and 

 grubs, and render us valuable service in destroying many pests ; 

 they also eat nuts and some fruit. 



An interesting family of birds to observe when feeding are 

 the flycatchers. Our kingbird is a familiar illustration of the 

 family. They feed almost exclusively on insects in flight. They 

 are cool-headed, businesslike birds, deciding to sit quietly on a 

 perch until some pretty fly passes near ; then, presto ! a snap, 

 and poor little fly is already in the flycatcher's gullet. There 

 is no nervous uncertainty in a flycatcher's disposition, but quiet 

 waiting till the decisive moment, then his sharp little bill clinches 

 the winged creature in an instant. 



Near my favorite window, on the branch of an apple tree, the 

 tent caterpillars have had a nest for a number of years. I have 

 never allowed the nest to be burned out or destroyed, choosing to 

 leave it for a feeding place for the birds. It has been extremely 

 interesting to notice the different birds around the nest, and their 

 manner of attacking it. The yellow-throated vireos are the most 

 frequent visitors; they find the worms a dainty feast. Often 

 they thrust their tiny beaks into the sticky web and tear off bits 



