120 BIRDS OF OHIO. 



Order PASSERES. Perching Birds. 



Suborder CLAMATORES. Songless Perching Birds. 



Family TYRANNID^. Tyrant Flycatchers. 



The birds which belong to this family are preeminently 

 flycatchers, but while they feed so largely upon flying in- 

 sects, catching them in mid-air by a sally from some position 

 where they have been waiting, they also eat wild fruits in 

 their season to some extent. Sometimes they descend to 

 the ground to pick up insects seen there. The only member 

 of the family about which complaints have been made is the 

 Kingbird. He is fond of honey bees, and will sometimes 

 nearly destroy a hive if not interrupted in his feast. As a 

 group the flycatchers are among our most useful insect de- 

 stroyers, supplementing the work of the swallows and 

 Nighthawk, Whip-poor-will, and Chimney Swift. 



163. (444.) Tyrannus tyrannus (Linn.). 12.7. 

 Kingbird. 



Synonyms: Tyrannus carolinensis, T. intrepidus, Muscicapa ty- 

 rannus, Lanius tyrannus. 

 Bee Martin, Bee Bird, Tyrant Flycatcher, Tyrant. 

 Kirtland, Ohio Geol. Surv., 1838, 163. 



The Kingbird is well known to all. It is common during 

 the summer in all parts of the state. While it may be harm- 

 ful in some individual cases to bee raisers, it is a decidedly 

 useful bird in general. 



The Kingbird reaches the Ohio river about April 20, and 

 Lake Erie five days later. It remains only until the first 

 week in September. 



163. (452.) Myiarchus crinitus (Linn.). 128. 

 Crested Flycatcher. 



Synonyms: Musicapa crinita, Tyrannus crinitus. 



Great Crested Flycatcher. 

 Kirtland, Ohio Geol. Surv., 1838, 163. 



This bird is almost as well known as the Kingbird, from 

 which it may be easily distinguished by the reddish instead 



