THE KINGBIRD. 15 



Robber flies were found in 19 of the stomachs, and 1 contained 

 6 individuals. In all, 26 were identified, which would seem to be 

 abundant payment for the 8 worker bees. A few syrphus and 

 tachinid flies and a number of the long-legged crane flies (Tipulidse) 

 make up the rest of the Diptera of the kingbird's diet. 



Lepidoptera (moths, butterflies, and their larvae) form 3.18 per 

 cent of the food of the kingbird. Most birds eat adult Lepidoptera 

 (moths and butterflies) but sparingly, preferring their larvae, com- 

 monly known as caterpillars. The flycatchers, however, eat quite a 

 number of moths as well as caterpillars. They were found in the 

 stomachs of the kingbird in nearly every month except March and 

 October, when but few stomachs were taken. Beginning with a 

 maximum of 5.60 per cent in April, they decrease quite regularly to 

 a minimum of 2.87 per cent in July, after which they again increase 

 to 4.61 per cent in September. The cotton worm (Alabama argil- 

 lacea) is the only insect of this order found in the stomachs which is 

 of any special interest. This was found in a few stomachs of birds 

 taken in the cotton fields of Texas and was in the larval or caterpillar 

 state. Other Noctuidse (cutworms) either as adults or larvae were 

 identified in seven stomachs. 



Orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets, etc.) stand third in importance 

 in the kingbird's food and during July and August exceed any other 

 element. None were found in the stomachs taken in March and 

 October, but in April they amounted to 2.40 per cent, from which 

 they gradually increased to 32.83 in August, and then rapidly 

 decreased and disappeared. The average for the year was 11.83 per 

 cent. Like many other eastern birds, the kingbird takes advantage 

 of the abundance of grasshoppers in July and August and replaces 

 some other articles of diet with them. Besides the insects already 

 enumerated, the kingbird eats some dragon flies and ephemerids, 

 with an occasional raphidian, and now and then a scorpion fly 

 (Panorpa), in all making 1.52 per cent of the diet. The bones of a 

 tree frog, those of a lizard, a few crustaceans (Oniscus), commonly 

 known as sow bugs, and the shell and lingual ribbon of a snail were 

 also found. These last were evidently not regular articles of diet and 

 amounted to only 1.29 per cent. 



Following is a list of the animal food identified in the stomachs 

 and the number of stomachs in which each species occurred : 



HYMENOPTERA (wasps, bees, etc.). 



Apis mellifera 22 



Bombus vagans 1 



Bombus sp 1 



Melissodes sp 5 



Epeolus sp 1 



Xylocopa sp 1 



Megachile brevis 1 



Megachile sp 1 



Ccelioxys 8-dentala 1 



Andrena sp 2 



Agapostemon sp 3 



Halictus sp 3 



Colletes sp 1 



Crabro sp 2 



