8 POOD OP THE FLYCATCHERS. 



SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER. 



( Muscivoraforficata.) 



The scissor-tailed flycatcher is found in the United States, chiefly 

 from central and eastern Texas and Oklahoma to southern Kansas, 

 during the months from March to October; casually in western Louisi- 

 ana, western Arkansas, and southwestern Missouri. In winter it 

 moves farther south and with few exceptions retires beyond our 

 southern boundary. Like the kingbird it prefers the open country 

 to forests, and seems to be best suited with prairies or rolling country 

 with scattered trees on which it can nest. In settled territory it 

 takes kindly to orchards and even gardens in the near vicinity of 

 buildings. While generally a quiet bird that lives on good terms 

 with its neighbors, it displays something of the aggressive spirit 

 of the kingbird in relation to crows and hawks, which it attacks with 

 great vigor when they appear near its nest. The following descrip- 

 tion of some of the bird's habits is as good as has been written: 



One of his favorite performances is to fly up and, with rattling wings, execute an 

 aerial seesaw, a line of sharp-angled VVVVVVV's, helping himself at the short 

 turns by rapidly opening and shutting his long white scissors. As he goes up and 

 down he utters all the while a penetrating scream ka-quee'-ka-quee'-ka-quee'-ka- 

 quee' -ka-quee? , the emphasis being given each time at the top of the ascending line. 



Frequently when he is passing along with the even flight of a sober-minded crow 

 and you are quietly admiring the salmon lining of his wings, he shoots rattling into 

 the air, and as you stare after him drops back as suddenly as he rose. He does this 

 apparently because the spirit moves him, as a boy slings a stone at the sky, but fervor 

 is added by the appearance of a rival or an enemy, for he is much like a Tyrannus in 

 his masterful way of controlling bis landscape. He will attack caracaras and white- 

 necked ravens, Kgbting on their backs ami giving them vicious blows while scream- 

 ing in their ears. 1 



The following discussion of this bird's food is based upon the 

 contents of 129 stomachs taken in the months from April to October, 

 inclusive. They are rather irregularly distributed, and only one 

 was taken in the latter month. They were collected in the State 

 of Texas except one from Florida, which is considerably outside of 

 the bird's usual range. The animal food amounts to 96.12 per 

 cent of the stomach contents, practically all of which was made up 

 of insects and spiders. The vegetable food amounts to 3.88 per 

 cent and is composed of small fruits and seeds. 



Animal food. — Of the animal food beetles amount to i:>.74 percent 

 and form a rather constant article of diet. Less than 1 percent belong 

 to theoretically useful families. The others are practically all of 

 harmful species. Diabrotica 12-punctata was found in 1 stomach. 

 This is the well-known 12-spotted cucumber beetle, which often 

 does great injury to that plant, as well as to squash vines, corn, clover, 

 beets, beans, peas, and asparagus. Snout beetles, or weevils, were 



i Bailey, Florence Merriam, Handbook of Birds of the Western United States, p. 247, 1902. 



