RUSTY GRAKLE. 77 



RUSTY GRAKLE. 



THIS is another of our Black Birds, which is a 

 winter visitant, breeding far to the northward of 

 us. They visit us in the autumn, in small flocks, 

 keeping company with the Red Winged Starling 

 and Cowpen Finches, on our meadows, and on 

 the approach of winter they move further south 

 with those birds. I have had them in my pos- 

 session, but have not as yet kept them long 

 enough to test their singing properties in a cage. 

 They are nearly silent while with us, having 

 only a single note; but in the countries where 

 they breed they are said to sing very sweetly. 

 They are docile, and apt to learn, and soon be- 

 come very tame and familiar, like the former. 

 Rather smaller in size than the Purple Grakle, it 

 is clean and handsome in shape, and I have no 

 doubt may become an excellent cage bird. 



FOOD. It is a hardy bird, and may easily be 

 kept on the same food as the Purple Grakle, or 

 the Red Winged Starling. 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SEXES. The male of 

 this bird is black, with beautiful green reflex- 



