SPECIES. 91 



orous than the redhead. Its vegetable food usualh^ consists of a little 

 mast and a good deal of wild fruit. It is less of a woodpecker than 

 any other species of the family, for it is much less arboreal and spends 

 a large part of the time on the ground securing ants with its long 

 sticky tongue. As many as 5,000 ants have been taken from one 

 stomach. So important is this article of diet that it forms three- 

 fourths of the insect food of the species. 



WHIP-POOR-WILLS, NIGHT-HAWKS, SWIFTS, AND HUMMING- 

 BIRDS. 



Whip-poor-wills {Aiitrostomiis vociferus) and night-hawks {Chor- 

 deiles virginianus)^ two exclusively insectivorous species, are highly 

 useful. The former was frequently heard, and the latter was fre- 

 quently seen in late summer as it soared over the farm after ants. 



The chimney swift {Chdeticra pelagica) is, as might be expected, 

 wholly insectivorous. Three birds collected July 18, 1S9S, had caught 

 the following insects on the wing: One small bee (Andrenidse), 3 bugs 

 (Heteroptera), and 31 weevils {Sitones hispichdvs). 



The ruby-throated hummingbird {Trochilus coluhns) feeds on insects 

 and the nectar of flowers. During the last of May it visited the flowers 

 of the persimmon, in June the honeysuckle, and later tobacco and 

 the trumpet creeper. A bird that was shot fresh from a trumpet flower 

 had eaten 1 little green bee (Andrenid83) and 1 minute spider. 



FLYCATCHERS. 



The following species of flycatchers have been noted at Marshall 

 Hall: 



Scissor- tailed Flycatcher {3Iuscivora forficaia). Noted by Mr. O. N. Bryan. 



Kingbird ( Tyrannus tyrannus), 16. 



Great crested flycatcher {Myiarchus crinitus), 4. 



Phoebe {Sayornis phoebe) , 3. 



Wood pewee ( Contopus virens), 11. 



Acadian flycatcher {Empidonax virescem^) , 1. 



Sixteen kingbirds were collected from May 28 to July 30. Insects 

 formed 71 percent and fruit 29 percent of their food. The fruit con- 

 sisted of cherries, sassafras, wild and cultivated mulberries, elder, and 

 blackberries. The proportion of insect food was not so large as is 

 typical for the species, a circumstance resulting probably from the 

 readiness with which fruit could be obtained. Beetles constituted 37 

 percent of the food, grasshoppers and crickets 23 percent, ants and 

 bees 1 percent, parasitic wasps 2 percent, miscellaneous insects, includ- 

 ing caterpillars and bugs, 3 percent, and spiders 2 percent. Among 

 the miscellaneous insects were a stink bug {Ilymenarcys nervosa)^ an 

 assassin bug {Sinea diadem a) ^ and a whole cabbage butterfly {Pieris 

 rajjde). The bees included small wild species (Andrenidas) and drones 



