DTRDS OF KANSAS. 513 



iuto pure light ash on the riiinp and upper tail coverts, and into dingy yellow 

 on flanks and abdoniim. Lower tail coverts white. Whole of the wing poste- 

 rior to the greater coverts slaty ash, almost black along enil of inner webs of 

 primaries, the outer webs of which are narrowly edged witli hoary whitish. 

 Tail slate, passing Into black terminally, tipped with a broad, sharply-defined 

 baud of gamboge yellow. A broad stripe of intense velvety black on side of 

 head starting from nostril, passing across lores, and involving the eye, contin- 

 ued from it beneath the crest to the occiput; chin dull black, blending gradu- 

 ally into the brownish of the throat. A narrow white line across the forehead 

 and along the sides of crown, between brown of crown and back lores, etc.; a 

 narrow crescent on lower eyelid, and a stripe between black of lores and that 

 of the throat, white. Fully adult male and female with each secondary quill 

 terminated by a bright red horny appendage to the shaft. Younger birds with 

 these very small and few in number, or entirely absent. Young: In general 

 appearance similar to the adult. Colors more grayish, with indistinct con- 

 cealed whitish streaks on nape and down back, these stripes becoming very 

 conspicuous on the sides and flanks and across breast. No black on chin. 

 Rump grayish brown; abdomen and flanks dingy whitish. No appendages to 

 secondaries, and the yellow band across end of tail narrower than in adult. 

 {Uidgway.) 



stretch of 

 Length. wing. Wing. Tail. Tarsus. Bill. 



Male 7.10 11.75 3.80 2..50 .67 .44 



Female... 7.00 11.50 3.70 2.45 .66 .42 



Iris brown; bill, legs, feet and claws black. 



These handsome roving birds frequent in flocks the woods, 

 orchards and groves. Thej were formerly abundant in suitable 

 localities throughout their range, but their love for berries and 

 fruits is causing their ranks to be thinned by the murderous shot- 

 guns. As thej feed together in large numbers, their presence 

 to fruit growers is alarming, and it is hard to convince them that, 

 in ridding their orchards of the various forms of injurious in- 

 sects, they are more beneficial than hurtful. Doctor Brewer, in 

 ''North American Land Birds," says: 



"It is unfortunate for the horticulturist that this bird has 

 done so much to merit his prejudices and reprobation, and that 

 he does not appreciate to the full the immense services it ren- 

 ders to him each spring in the destruction of injurious insects. 

 A flock of these birds will, in a short space of time, devour an 

 immense number of the larvae of the destructive canker worms 

 {PhalmncB) that infest the apples and elms of Massachusetts, 

 and, if permitted, would soon greatly reduce their numbers. 



-33 



