23 



Speaking of the same species, Dr. Edgar A. Mearns says: 



On the Mogollon Mountains I saw them attack crows and western red-tailed hawks 

 and drive them from the neighborhood of their nests after the spirited fashion of the 

 eastern kingbird. 1 



Only 40 stomachs of Cassin's kingbird were available for the study 

 of its food. They are distributed very irregularly over the year, 

 and none were taken in April, May, July, and August. While this 

 scanty supply of material may give us some information as to what 

 the bird eats, it can not furnish reliable data as to relative propor- 

 tions. The food was found to be composed of 78.57 per cent of 

 animal matter to 21.43 of vegetable. 



Animal food. — Beetles of all kinds amount to 14.91 per cent of the 

 food. Of these, about 1 per cent are of species that are more or 

 less useful (Carabidse). The others are Scarabseidae, Cerambycidse 

 (Saperda sp.), Elateridae, and Histeridse (Hister sellatus). Hymenop- 

 tera amount to 21.61 per cent and consist for the most part of wild 

 bees and wasps. No honeybees were found, but several predaceous 

 or parasitic species were identified, such as TipJiia inornata and 

 Myzine 6-cincta. As with many other flycatchers, Hymenoptera 

 are the largest item of food. Hemiptera (bugs) are eaten rather 

 irregularly and not in large quantities. They amount to 3.41 per 

 cent. The only ones identified were of the family Pentatomidse 

 (stinkbugs). Diptera constitute only 2.91 per cent of the diet, 

 which again illustrates the fact that some flycatchers do not catch 

 many flies. They belong to the long-legged crane-fly family (Tipu- 

 lidae) and the family of the house fly (Muscidse). 



Lepidoptera, i. e., moths and caterpillars, amount to 18.21 per cent 

 of the food, which is a high percentage for a flycatcher; for while 

 moths may be caught on the wing, caterpillars must be picked from 

 the surface on which they crawl, unless they let themselves down from 

 a tree by a thread and so hang in mid-air. Caterpillars were found 

 in 11 stomachs and moths in 6. Of the latter, 21 individuals were 

 made out in 1 stomach. They are probably a very popular article of 

 diet with this bird, as they appear in the food of every month, but in 

 rather irregular amounts. More stomachs would probably give a 

 more regular record. Orthoptera (grasshoppers and crickets) are 

 apparently eaten rather irregularly, but as nearly every month in 

 which they appeared at all showed a goodly quantity, they would 

 seem to be a favorite food, and it is probable that a greater number of 

 stomachs would give a more regular showing. In January they 

 amount to 47.50 per cent in 4 stomachs, while the 1 stomach taken in 

 February shows none at all. It is not probable, however, that Janu- 

 ary is really the month of maximum consumption of grasshoppers. 



» The Auk, VII, p. 255, 1890. 



