192 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 



At first, while the marshes are still cold, the hillsides are 

 visited by flocks of males, and here they may often be seen 

 feeding on the ground with Robins, or in a noisy chorus on 

 some tree near by. The song has a liquid opening-note, 

 and ends in a ree or ray^ long prolonged ; when uttering it, 

 the male spreads his wings and shows his blazing scarlet 

 epaulets. AVhen a flock are singing, the liquid notes form a 

 musical undertone to the shriller ree, the whole suggesting 

 the music of waters. Besides the song, the species has a 

 rather heavy chuck, used as a call-note, and a long, rather 

 pure whistle, constantly heard in the marshes in early sum- 

 mer, and often followed by a series of staccato scolding-notes, 

 and in midsummer a loud nasal dissyllabic note, suggesting 

 the cry of the nighthawk. The birds are intolerant of in- 

 trusion, and gather round a visitor with much expostulation. 

 They also attack and escort away any large birds — hawks, 

 crows, and even inoffensive bitterns. 



A male E-ed-wing is easily told by his scarlet wing-patch 

 or even by its white edging, which shows when the wings 

 are closed. A female differs from the other blackbirds in 

 the heavy streaking above and below. (See Rusty Black- 

 bird, p. 187.) 



CowBiRD. Molothrus ater 

 $ 7.92. 9 7.50 



Ad. $. — Head, neck, and upper breast rich brotvn (at a dis- 

 tance the bird seems entirely black) ; rest of plumage iridescent 

 black. Ad. 9 ^^^ -^'^*- — Entire plumage brownish-gray, un- 

 streaked. 



Nest, none, the eggs being laid in the nests of other birds. 

 Eggs, white, evenly speckled with brown. 



The Cowbird is a summer resident of New York and 

 New England, but is rare in the hilly country of northern 

 New England, and entirely absent from the unsettled forest 

 regions. It arrives late in March or early in April. In late 



