170 OMNIVOROUS BIRDS. 



and exhibiting amidst the broad shadows of their funereal 

 plumage, the bright flashing of the vermilion with which 

 their wings are so singularly decorated. After whirling a 

 little distance, like the Starling, they descend as a torrent, 

 and darkening the branches of the trees by their numbers, 

 they commence a general concert that may be heard for 

 more than two miles. This music seems to be something 

 betwixt chattering and warbling ; jingling liquid notes 

 like those of the Bobolink with their peculiar kong-quer- 

 ree and bob a le, o-bob a lee ; then complaining chirps, 

 jars, and sounds like saw-filing, or the motion of a sign- 

 board on its rusty hinge, the whole constituting a novel and 

 sometimes grand chorus of discord and harmony, in which 

 the performers seem in good earnest, and bristle up their 

 feathers, as if inclined, at least, to make up in quantity 

 what their show of music may lack in quality. 



When their food begins to fail in the fields, they as- 

 semble with the Purple Grakles, very familiarly around 

 the corn-cribs and in the barn-yards, greedily and dexter- 

 ously gleaning up every thing within their reach. In the 

 month of March, Mr. Bullock found them very numerous 

 and bold near the city of Mexico, where they followed 

 the mules to steal a tithe of the barley with which they 

 were fed. 



From the beginning of March to April, according to the 

 nature of the season, they begin to visit the Northern 

 States in scattered parties, flying chiefly in the morning. 

 As they wing their way towards the north, they seem to 

 relieve their mutual toil by friendly chatter, and being the 

 harbingers of approaching spring, their faults are forgot 

 in the instant, and we cannot help greeting them as old 

 acquaintances in spite of all their predatory propensities. 

 Selecting their accustomed resort, they make the low mead- 

 ows resound again with their usual notes, particularly 



