AUDUBON JOURNAL 



Loud and Sweet and their Movements elegandy airy 

 — a Beautifull male was very busily Engage'^ in carying 

 some straws to a Large Live Oak, but loosing the 

 Bird every time through the Spanish Moss, I Could 

 Not see any appearance of Nest, and so early in the 

 season could not presume it was for the purpose of 

 building one — I Shot him — and Joseph Killed another 

 femelle — these Birds are considerably More Shy than 

 any other Grakle — fly very Loosely when in flocks, 

 uttering constandy a Chuck [very] diferent to that of 

 the purple Grakle — Gracula quiscula — and their flight re- 

 sembles that of our Cuckoos and that of the Cukoo of 

 Europe — While on the ground their walk is Elegant 

 and Stately carrying their Long concave tails rather 

 high — feed Closer to each other than Swamp Black 

 Birds: Turton speaks of their Shortish Bills and gives 

 for total length 13 Inches — this was taken no doubt 

 from a Young femelle— the Male now before me 

 Measures 15} Inches — my drawing Shews you Male 

 & femeUe, and tomorow it being finished I will give 

 you a description— the French here call them starlings 

 but on all quesdons respecting them or any other birds 

 their answer is a constant Oh Qui — the country is here 

 richly adorned by handsome dweUing Houses, Many 

 Sugar and Cotton Plantations running about One 

 Mile and half to the Swamp, free from Old trees and 

 Stumps— every house a V Espagnole— or Zingc trees, 

 now hanging with their golden fruits forming avenues 



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