PHOEBE. 31 



15.33 per cent, which places them as second in rank of the items of 

 animal food. The notorious cotton-boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis) 

 was found in 6 stomachs taken in the cotton fields of Texas and 

 Louisiana, and 5 individuals of the strawberry weevil (A. signatus) 

 were taken from one collected in Texas. Many of the other beetles 

 contained in the stomachs are by nature equally harmful, but are not 

 so widely known. Such are the corn leaf -beetle {Myochrous den- 

 ticoUis), which feeds upon corn; also the 12-spotted cucumber beetle 

 {Didbrotica 12-punctata) and the striped cucumber beetle (J), vittata), 

 both of which seriously injure and sometimes destroy cucumber and 

 squash vines. The locust leaf miner (Odontota dorsalis) has been re- 

 ferred to before. It is sometimes so numerous that all the locust 

 trees over large areas are blasted as by fire. 



In the phcebe's diet Hymenoptera stand at the head, as is the case 

 with most of the flycatchers. They are eaten with great regularity 

 and are the largest item in nearly every month. A few of them are 

 the useful parasitic species, which are, however, offset by quite a 

 number of sawfly larvae, which are very harmful insects. Ants, 

 which are a nuisance, were found in 24 stomachs. No honeybees 

 were identified, but testimony has been received to the effect that 

 the phcebe sometimes eats bees. The following is from a letter 

 written to the Biological Survey by Mr. S. J. Walcott, and dated at 

 Waverly, N. Y., November 30, 1891: 



Having an apiary attached to our place, have often -watched common phoebe birds 

 gorge themselves to repletion with honeybees and in two minutes eject the entire 

 mass through the mouth and again resume business with their former relish, and con- 

 tinue this practice for a long time, thereby weakening and sometimes entirely annihi- 

 lating healthy colonies of bees. 



The maximum amount of Hymenoptera was taken in August, when 

 they aggregated 39.66 per cent. They constituted the entire con- 

 tents of 7 stomachs, and were found altogether in 225, which would 

 seem to establish these insects as the favorite food of the phcebe. 

 In bulk they amount to 26.69 per cent of the yearly diet. 



Diptera aggregate 6.89 per cent, and are a very constant, though 

 small, element of the food. The maximum occurs in June, when they 

 amount to 17.90 per cent. The minimum of 1.40 per cent comes in 

 December, when, as is well known, flies are not very abundant. 

 The long-legged crane flies (Tipulidae), a few horseflies (Tabanidse), 

 some house flies (Muscidse), and several other families make up this 

 item. They were found in 79 stomachs and although they do not 

 appear to be very appetizing, they constituted the entire contents 

 of 3 stomachs. Hemiptera (bugs) seem to be sought for rather 

 more than flies, as they were found in 151 stomachs, but only 1 was 

 entirely filled with them. Very curiously these were leaf hoppers 

 (Jassidse), lively little creatures that live on grass and leaves and jump 



