164- NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



ist, this sjiecies is cbiefly foimd in the warmer interior of California, Santa 

 Cru/ being the only point on the coast vliere he has met with it. He 

 found it in scattered paii-s, in IMay, throughout the Coast Eange, even to 

 the summits, wliere there are small marshes full of rushes, in which they 

 Iniild. He has not been able to detect any difference between the habits 

 and notes of this bird and the common Redwing. The fact that .specimens 

 with entirely red shoulders seem limited to the middle of the State, or are 

 rare along tlie coast, while most of those on the coast closely resemble the 

 eastern bird. Dr. Cooper regards as suggestive of its being only a local race, 

 though said to occur also in Mexico. 



During the sunnner this species is said to emit a variety of sweet and 

 liquid notes, deli%ered from some tree near its favorite marsh. These are 

 also sometimes mingled witli jingling and creaking soimds. 



Dr. Suckley, in his Rei)ort on the Zoology of Washington Territory, ex- 

 presses the opinion, that, although a specimen of tliis bird is reported as 

 having been taken by Townsend on the Columbia, it is very rarely found so 

 far north, as he never met with it in "Washington Territory, and has never 

 been able to hear of any other specimen having been found there. 



Dr. Kennedy, in his Report on the birds observed in the survey of the 

 35th parallel, states that during the march along Bill Williams Fork, and 

 along the Great Colorado and the Mohave Rivers, this species was found quite 

 numerous. They were more alnindant still along the creeks and swampy 

 grounds that were passed as they^ approached the settlements of California. 

 Large flocks could there lie seen whirling around in graceful curves, like dark 

 clouds, chattering joyfully a.s they moved along, or settling as a black veil on 

 the topmost branches of some tree, indulging loudly in their harsh music. 



In his Report of the birds observed iai the survey under Lieutenant Wil- 

 liamson, Dr. Heermann mentions tinding this species abundant, and, in the 

 fall season, as associated with Molothrus pccoris and A. tricolor. Its nest he 

 found built in the willow bushes and tussocks of grass above the level of 

 the water, in the marshes. There were but a few pairs together, and in this 

 respect they differ from the tricolor, which prefers dry situations near 

 water, and which congregate by thousands while breeding. The nest was 

 composed of mud and fine roots, and lined with fine grasses. The eggs, four 

 in number, he describes as pale blue, dashed with spots and lines of black. 



Neither this nor the tricolor was detected by Dr. Coues in Arizona. 



These Blackbirds were found by ]Mr. Ridgway abundant in the marsliy 

 regions of California, but they were rarely met with east of the Sierra Ne- 

 vada. A few indiviiluals were collected in Nevada in tiie valley of the 

 Truckee. A few pairs were found breeiling among the ttil^ sloughs and 

 marshes. The nests found in the Truckee Reservations were built in low 

 bushes in wet meadows. 



A nest procured by Dr. Cooper from the snnmiit of the Coast Range was 

 built of grass and rushes, and lined with finer grass. The eggs are described 



