146 AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



FLYCATCHERS OF THE GENUS TYRANNUS, 



The Kingbirds are represented in North America by five different species 

 of Avhich but two, the common Kingbird and the Gra}^ Kingbird, are regular- 

 ly found east of the Mississippi ; one other, the Arkansas Kingbird, has been 

 taken several times in the east where it had accidentally strayed. 



The common KINGBIRD, Tyrannus tyrannus (No. 414), is very abund- 

 ant east of the ^Mississippi River and is found west to the Rocky Mountains. 

 The name tyrannus is given to birds of this genus because of their so-called 

 tyrannical habits. However, they are not tyrannical in the ordinary sense 

 of the word for they rarely or never bully or drive away birds smaller 

 than themselves, but confine their attentions to birds of prey and other in- 

 jurious birds larger than themselves. 



The first week in April these black and white-coated Kingbirds reach the 

 southern boundary of the United States from South America, where they 

 pass the winter. They slowly travel northward reaching the northern states 

 about the second week in ]May, and the extreme northern part of their range, 

 which is Southern Labrador and Saskatchewan, about the last of May. They 

 frequent open country, usually in the immediate vicinity of water, and 

 never are found in dense woods. They are friends of the farmers and one 

 or two pairs will always be found nesting in his orchards. A man can have 

 no better tenants on his land than these birds and most farmers realize it. 

 They are one of the most persistent and tireless-insect catchers, these crea- 

 tures furnishing their staple article of diet. Like all flycatchers they catch 

 the greater part of their food when in flight, dashing after it with great 

 speed, and returning to their perch with short, fluttering wing-beats, and 

 rapidly uttering their sharp, penetrating "tseep-tseep " as though ex- 

 ulting in their capture. Besides reducing the horde of insects that is ever 

 present, they render good service to the farmer by driving away hawks, 

 owls, crows and jays. The size of an adversary makes no diff'erence to 

 them; they will attack an Eagle or a Red-tailed Hawk with the same spirit 

 that they do the little Sharp-shinned Hawk or Blue Jay. It is evident that 

 all hawks do not look alike to them for they do not include Ospreys or Fish 

 Hawks as enemies, and only this summer I found a nest of an Osprey con- 

 taining young, with one adult sitting on the edge of the nest and the other 

 on a dead limb within four feet of it, while in one of the crevices of the 

 nest and almost within reach of the male Osprey sat a Kingbird on her nest 

 containing four eggs. 



I recall an incident that I saw many years ago when eagles were not as 

 uncommon in Rhode Island as thej^ now are. A pair of Kingbirds saw a 

 Bald Eagle approaching and sallied forth to meet him when he was about 



