Some Common Birds Useful to the Farmer. 23 
were noted, but they were very few. Ants were found in 48 stomachs, and for 
largest item, were found in 97 stomachs and completely filled 3. They consti- 
tute the most regular article in the black phebe’s diet. The maximum con- 
sumption occurs in April, 64.3 per cent. The black phcebe well merits its title 
of flycatcher. 
Moths and caterpillars amount to 8.2 per cent of the food. They were found 
in 72 stomachs, of which 51 contained the adult moths and 28 the larve or 
caterpillars. One stomach was entirely filled with adults. This is one of the 
few birds studied by the writer that eats more moths than caterpillars, for as 
a rule the caterpillars are largely in excess, Flycatchers, taking their food 
not appear. Dragon flies were eaten to some extent, and these illustrate the 
fondness of ‘the species for the neighborhood of water. 
The vegetable matter eaten consisted chiefly of small wild fruits of no 
economic importance. 
Another pheebe inhabiting the Western States and breeding as far north as 
Alaska is the Say phebe.* Investigation of its food was based on the éxam- 
ination of 86 stomachs, and while none were available for the months when 
insects are most numerous, the bird proved to be one of the most .exclusively 
insectivorous of the family. That it takes a few useful insects can not be 
denied, but these are far outnumbered by the harmful ones it destroys, and the 
balance is clearly in favor of the bird. Its vegetable food amounts to only 2 
per cent and is made up of a little wild fruit, seeds, and rubbish, 
THE KINGBIRDS. 
The well-known eastern kingbird (fig. 19) is essentially a lover of the 
orchard, though groves and eae Ades of forests were probably its original habi- 
tat. It breeds in the States east of the Rocky Mountains, and less commonly in 
the Great Basin and on the Pacific coast. Its hostility to hawks and crows is 
proverbial, and for this reason a family of kingbirds is a desirable eu 
4 poultry yard. On one occasion in the knowledge of the writer a as y ‘ a 
attacked a brood of young turkeys was pounced upon and so severe SA a 
by a pair of kingbirds whose nest was near by that the ie ter ae eo 
glad to escape without his prey. Song birds that nest near the kingbir 
Similarly protected. ; 
The fcniea is largely ge ease It - pee rae as deen 
the wing a large part of its food. It does not, i 
method OE hanes but picks up some insects from trees se hota a bale 
descends to the ground in search of myriapods or thousand leg - este. 
Complaint against the species by both professional le ee eae 
been that it preys largely upon honeybees. One bee raiser fea ns Aes eee 
the kingbirds of feeding upon his bees, shot a number near _ oe 
the stomachs of the birds were examined by an expert entomologist, 
e found. ; : 
ae pleareion 665 stomachs collected in various ey oe Eimetstt 
was made by the Biological Survey, but only 22 were gegen ) Stave pega 
of honeybees. In these 22 stomachs there were in all 61 Gece ae iootaaly 
51 were drones, 8 were certainly workers, and the remaining 
her identified. 3 7 
vane ee ae constitute the great bulk of the aye Heda let es 
Species, largely beetles—May beetles, click beetles ea See ae 
known as wire worms), weevils, which prey upon fruit an ioe sir cea 
of others. Wasps, wild bees, and ants are conspicuous ae . ns ee 
ae Gullo Ir hope at oduor ea tire eaiens a te aomaea ena 
and other bugs, also are eaten. é 
ined. res feta robber flies—insects which prey largely upon other 
2 3 tyrannus. 
5 Sayornis sayus. @ Tyrannus ty 
