50 BOAKD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



entirely on insects, which they take on the wing. They 

 pick up in this way such caterpillars as the canker worms, 

 which often hang suspended by a thread they have spun 

 from the branches. We have very little accurate information 

 as to the exact character of the food of these birds. 



Humming Birds (Trochilidm) . 

 Even the little humming birds eat many minute but 

 nevertheless destructive insects, which they take not only 

 from the leaves and flowers but even from the branches. 

 The ruby throat may sometimes be seen hovering beneath or 

 about a limb, pecking insects from the bark. 



Flycatchers ( Tyrannidce) . 

 The true flycatchers take their food largely upon the wing. 

 Although they eat caterpillars and other lurvse and also some 

 pupa3, they feed in the main upon the mature insects taken 

 in flight. They are no doubt beneficial to agriculture, but 

 perhaps not so highly useful as it would seem at first sight, 

 as they destroy many parasitic insects after these creatures 

 have reached the winged state. The kingbird, which has 

 received in some sections the name of bee eater or bee 

 martin, probably does more good in destroying robber flies, 

 bee moths and other insects than it does harm by killing 

 bees. The stomach dissections made by Professor Beal of 

 the Department of Agriculture resulted in favor of this bird. 

 Kingbirds nesting near the poultry yard will keep hawks 

 and crows away. 



The Crow Family (Corvides). 

 This Board has already published a report on the crow in 

 Massachusetts. Since that time more facts in the crow's 

 history have come to light. It seems to be true that in the 

 Middlesex Fells reservation, where all birds have been pro- 

 tected, the crows have increased at the expense of the smaller 

 birds, which certainly appear to be less plentiful there than 

 they were before the Metropolitan Park Commission took 

 the land. On the other hand, the grouse and hares have 

 greatly increased. Our observers have reported that many 

 nests of robins, vireos and other small birds in the reserva- 



