FLYCATCHER FAMILY. 37 
from rock to rock, and probably it caught an insect on each flight. 
This activity was kept up all day. Even after supper, when it was 
so dark that notes had to be written by the aid of the camp fire, the 
phoebes were still hunting insects. 
Observations like these convince any reasoning person that the 
number of insects destroyed in a year by this species is something 
enormous, and the examination of stomachs confirms field observa- 
tions. This bird eats a higher percentage of insects than any fly- 
catcher yet studied except the western wood pewee. For the study 
of this phoebe’s food 333 stomachs were available, collected in every 
month in the year and from various parts of the State. They show 
99.39 percent of animal matter to 0.61 percent of vegetable. 
Ammal food.—In examining the food contained in the stomachs of 
the black phoebes, account was kept of the beetles that are generally 
supposed to be useful, namely, the ground beetles (Carabide), the 
ladybirds (Coccinellide), and the tiger beetles (Cicindelide). It was 
found that these beetles were eaten pretty regularly throughout the 
year; in fact, there is no month which does not show a certain per- 
centage of them. The average for the year, however, is only 2.82, 
or practically 3 percent, not a heavy tax on the useful beetles. Other 
beetles, all more or less harmful, amount to 10 percent. They were 
eaten in every month, and though the quantity varies to some extent, 
the variation appears to be accidental. 
Hymenoptera amount to over 35 percent of the yearly food. They 
were found in 252 out of the 333 stomachs, and in 11 there was no 
other food. They are eaten throughout the year. March is the 
month of least consumption, with only 1 percent, while August shows 
the maximum, nearly 60 percent. A few ants and several parasitic 
species are eaten, but the great bulk of this item is made up of wild 
bees and wasps. Nota trace of a honey bee was found in any stomach. 
Hemiptera of several families were eaten to the extent of about 7 
percent. They were pretty uniformly distributed through the food 
of the year, except that none were taken in May, which, however, is 
probably accidental. Four of these families are aquatic, which partly 
explains why the bird is so fond of the vicinity of water. The Redu- 
viide are insectivorous, and therefore useful. They were found in 
but one stomach. The other families are vegetable feeders; all of 
them likely to be harmful, and most of them pests. The plant lice 
found in the food are rather unexpected, but, as already noted, fly- 
catchers do not take all their food on the wing. 
Flies (Diptera) were eaten by the black phoebe to the extent of 
over 28 percent. They appear in every month, and range from 3 
percent in August to 64 percent in April. They were found in 127 
stomachs, 10 of which contained nothing else. The house-fly family 
(Muscide), the crane flies (Tipulide), robber flies (Asilidz), and one 
