172 WASTE-LAND WANDERINGS. 



saw several kingbirds in the brandies of the trees on the 

 creek bank, and heard the harsh screaming of the great 

 crested flycatcher. Others of the tribe were heard, and 

 one wood-peewee came from the woods and perched 

 directly above me. 



Perhaps, when purple martens were abundant, we had 

 professional bee-eaters among us, but of this I am by no 

 means certain. Dr. Brewer calls the kingbird a. "bee 

 martin," and has much to say of their being a pest where 

 honey is a desideratum of the farmers. 



No kingbird, while I was there, saw fit once to capt- 

 ure a bee, or even to fly among them. If they do 

 so, how can we be sure it is a bee that is captured ? 

 Other insects swarm in the same localities, as I found 

 to-day, and might not these be sought as food, in prefer- 

 ence to the busy honey-gatherers ? Wilson went so far 

 as to say that the kingbirds fed only upon drones ; but 

 is it likely that a kingbird's vision is sufficiently acute 

 to recognize drones from workers when they are flying ? 



I have found more than one bee-tree in my rambles, 

 and always have looked out for bee-eating birds in their 

 vicinity, but the kingbirds do not frequent the forests 

 much ; and the great crested flycatcher, although much 

 more of a forest -dwelling species, never appeared to 

 haunt the neighborhood of bee -trees. Kingbirds, no 

 doubt, are willing to feed on bees, but that they prefer 

 them to other forms of insect life is probably too rash a 

 statement. 



It was not far from here, in April, 1872, that a beauti- 

 ful scissor-tail flycatcher was taken. It was a male, in 

 full health and feather, weighing two and one-half ounces 



