FLYCATCHERS 185 



Food habits. — The food of this tiny bird consists in part of 

 the nectar of flowers and in part of minute insects and spiders. 

 Examination of 59 stomachs in the Biological Survey showed 

 the contents to be mainly composed of spiders, 43 per cent; 

 Hymenoptera (ants, bees, etc.) 36 per cent; Hemiptera (leaf- 

 hoppers, etc.), 8 per cent; and Diptera (gnats), 2 per cent. 

 A little vegetable food was found in four stomachs.f 



FLYCATCHERS: Family Tyrannidae. 



SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER: Muscwora forficata 



(Gmelin). 



State records. — The scissor-tailed flycatcher is a western 

 species, found normally no farther east than Oklahoma and 

 western Louisiana. The only record of its occurrence in Ala- 

 bama is furnished by L. S. Golsan, who informs me that in 

 the spring of 1889 or 1890 he shot one of these birds in a 

 field near Autaugaville. He failed to record the date, but 

 thinks it was late in May. The capture of such a striking 

 bird made a strong impression on his mind, and although he 

 did not at the time know what it was, on looking later at a 

 description of it, was able instantly to recognize the species.^ 



KINGBIRD; BEE-MARTIN: TyroMrms tyranrms tyrannus 



(Linnaeus) . 



State records. — The kingbird is a common and generally 

 distributed summer resident. 



It arrives in the southern counties during the latter part 

 of March, having been seen at Spring Hill, March 18 ; Bayou 

 Labatre, March 22 ; and Bay Minette, March 28. The average 

 date of arrival at Greensboro is about April 10. The earliest 

 seen at Coosada was on March 30, and at Autaugaville, March 

 26. Holt saw a very early migrant at Barachias, March 22, 

 1913. Migration in fall begins the last of August and usually 

 all have left by the third week of September; the last were 

 seen at Leighton, September 18, 1891. Nesting begins late 



+Bea) F E. L., Farmers' Bull. 606, pp. 13-16, repr., 1918. 

 JGolsan and Holt, The Auk, voL 81, p. 226, 1914. 



