18 



FOOD OF SOME WELL-KNOWN BIBDS. 



ARKANSAS KINGBIRD. 



(Tyrannus verticaUs.) 



The Arkansas kingbird (fig. 7) occupies during the breeding season 

 the western portion of the United States from the Pacific Ocean 

 eastward as far as Minnesota, Kansas, and Texas, though stragglers 

 have been taken at points much farther east. It extends northward 



into southern Brit- 

 ish America, where 

 it breeds, but in 

 winter it retires 

 southward entirely 

 be,yond the bound- 

 aries of the United 

 States. It is a bird 

 of the open country 

 and avoids forests. 

 A hilly country 

 with frequent trees 

 for nesting sites 

 appears to be the 

 most satisfactory 

 location. It is said 

 that it takes kindly 

 to civilization and 

 will live in the 

 vicinity of gardens 

 and buildings and 

 in some cases will 

 place its nest upon 

 the structures of 

 man, but in general 

 it is at present 

 far less domestic 

 than its eastern 

 relative. 



For the investi- 

 gation of the food 

 of the Arkansas 

 kingbird 109 stom- 

 achs were available. 

 The food was found to consist of 90.61 per cent of animal matter 

 to 9.39 per cent of vegetable. 



Animal food. — Beetles of all kinds amount to 17.02 per cent of the 

 food and include 5.47 per cent of useful species, mostly Carabidse 



506 



Fig. 7. — Arkansas kingbird. 



