FLYCATCHER FAMILY. 35 



SAY PHOEBE. 



(Sayornis say a.) 



While the Say phoebe inhabits California throughout the year, it 

 is locally wanting in summer in many places west of the Sierra. In 

 the fruit-growing regions visited, the writer met with only one indi- 

 vidual during the spring and summer months, but these phoebes 

 became fairly numerous in September, and increased in numbers as 

 the season advanced. The investigation of their food was based 

 upon the examination of 86 stomachs, taken in every month from 

 September to March inclusive, and 2 taken in June. This bird was 

 shown to be one of the most exclusively insectivorous of the family, 

 although no stomachs were available for the months when insects 

 were most numerous. The food consists of 98 percent of animal 

 matter and 2 percent of vegetable. 



Animal food. — As a number of predaceous ground beetles (Carab- 

 idse) were in these stomachs, a separate account was kept of them. 

 They amount to somewhat over 5 percent, and are pretty evenly dis- 

 tributed through the months, except February, in which 25 percent 

 were eaten. These were in one stomach, which they half filled, and 

 as only 2 stomachs were taken in that month, the percentage was 

 probably made too great. It seems impossible that all these beetles, 

 which are rather averse to flying, could have been caught on the wing, 

 especially since none were taken in the warmer months, when they 

 are most active. In the other beetle food, which amounts to 10 

 percent, a few ladybirds (Coccinellidse) were found. These and the 

 ground beetles must be recorded against the bird, but the fault is not 

 serious, The remainder of the beetles were all of injurious or neutral 

 species. 



Hymenoptera, including quite a number of ants, amount to 35 

 percent, and were contained in 69 stomachs, or over 78 percent of 

 the whole. This illustrates the statement that these birds are wasp- 

 catchers rather than flycatchers. A few parasitic species were 

 among the rest. Bugs, as is so often the case, were eaten quite 

 regularly, but in rather small quantities. They amount to about 5 

 percent of the food, and belong to the following families: Stinkbugs 

 (Pentatomidse), the squash-bug family (Coreidse), leaf bugs (Cap- 

 sidse), negro bugs (Corimelsenidse), leaf hoppers (Jassidse), tree hop- 

 pers (Membracidse), and assassin bugs (Reduviidse). These last are 

 reckoned as useful insects, but they were identified in only one 

 stomach. 



Flies (Diptera) aggregate 10 percent of the food, and were eaten 

 mostly in the months of January, March, and November; but proba- 

 bly this is accidental and would not hold true with a greater number 

 of stomachs. The only family identified was that of the common 



