562 
ECONOMIC RELATIONS OF OUR BIRDS. 
teen, forty-one dipterous insects, among them twelve large crane-flies; two, a 
butterfly each, one of which was an Argynnis; nine, tliirteen small dragon-flies; 
eleven, twenty-nine hymenopterous insects, among them twelve ants, an ich¬ 
neumon-fly (?) and one of the Augoehlora ff J; one, a heteropterous insect (Co- 
risicuj; one, a moth; one, a grasshopper; and one, a larve of a saw-fly (?), 
I have seen one Wood Pewee capture and feed to its young, which had recently 
left the nest, forty-one insects in the course of forty-five minutes. Several of 
these insects were moths. 
Winged insects (Wilson). Insects caught on the wing (De Kay). Of three 
sjDecimens exatnined, one had eaten hymenoptera; one, caterpillars; two, bee¬ 
tles; one diptera; and one, dragon-flies (Forbes). 
133. Empidonax acadicus (Gm.), Bd. ACADIAN FLYCATCHER. Group II. 
Class a. 
It appears doubtful whether this species has ever been taken in Wisconsin. 
The fact that Wilson, Audubon and Nuttall appear to have mistaken other biixis 
for this, may perhaps be a sufficient explanation of its reiDorted occuiTence. 
134. Empidonax Trailli (Aud.), Bd. TRAILL’S FLYCATCHER. Group II. 
Class b. 
A summer resident, but uncommon. It occurs in woodlands and retired 
groves. At Waupaca one was obtained in a small tamarack swamp early in July, 
where, from its great excitement on my approach, I suspect that it had a nest 
in the vicinity at the time. 
Food: One bird examined had in its stomach two small dragon-flies, one 
ichneumon-fly and two small beetles. Two others had eaten small beetles and 
dipterous insects, and one, small berries. 
135. Empidonax minimus, Bd. LEAST FLYCATCHER. Group I. Class b. 
This species is the most abundant and the most familiar of our Empidonaces. 
It arrives about the middle of May and departs late in September. The borders 
of woods, gi'oves, and hedges along fences are its usual haunts. In the East it 
has become much more familiar than with us. There it frequents orchards and 
gardens, and has been known to nest in a clump of honeysuckles on the corner 
of a piazza. It appears to live amicably with other birds, and to have strong 
attachments for nesting-places once chosen. On the whole, it appears to be a 
more desirable bird to have in orchards and about dwellings than either the 
Kingbird or the Purple Martin. Twice I have found the young fledglings of this 
species being fed by their parents late in July, and once early in August, from 
which we may infer that it rears two broods each season with us. 
Food: Of twenty-three specimens examined, ten had eaten thirty beetles — 
among them two squash-beetles ft>idbrotica vittataj, a lady-bird and two 
weevils; four, eighteen dipterous insects; one, two small heteropterous insects, 
equal in size to chinch-bugs; four, thirty-nine h\ menopterous insects — two small 
ichneumon-flies and thirty-seven winged ants; two, three caterpillars; one, a 
moth; two, four small dragon-flies; and one, a small spider. 
Canker-worm (Maynard). Of ten specimens examined by Forbes, two had 
eaten hymenoptera; two, lepidoptera; eight, beetles — groimd-beetles, gyrinidse, 
curculios and hydrophilidse; one, hemiptera; one, locusts; one, spiders; and two, 
blackberries. 
