370 U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 2 1 1 



feed upon the small, blackish berries which are borne in great clusters 

 on its pendant stalks. 



Behavior. — The boat-tailed grackle is essentially a coast dweller. 

 Showing such a decided preference for salt water that it is seldom 

 seen anywhere else, it frequents at all seasons the barrier and sea 

 islands, the marshes, and the shoreline. Occasionally it follows up 

 some of the tidal rivers for a short distance inland; but Audubon (1834) 

 noted that it "seldom goes further inland than forty or fifty miles, and 

 even then follows the margin of large rivers as the Mississippi, the 

 Santee, the St. John's and the Savannah." For coastal South Caro- 

 lina, 40 miles inland would be liberal and such distances are more apt 

 to be characteristic of the Florida race on the gulf coast. Ivan K. 

 Tompkins writes me (MS.) that he once saw "a number of boat-tails 

 at Nahunta, Brantley County, Ga., on March 14, 1938. Nahunta is 

 about 29 miles west of Brunswick, on the coast, and the birds were 

 busy around a gum-swamp habitat. All were definitely yellow-eyed 

 birds." In the range of the species in South Carolina, the writer 

 cannot recall having seen the species more than about 20 miles inland. 

 It is very much of an urban, as well as a rural, bird; it abounds in 

 many coastal towns and cities, occurring as a breeder in such seaboard 

 cities as Wilmington, N. C, Charleston, S. C, and Savannah, Ga. 

 Brunswick, Ga., has a very large population, and even the hurried 

 tourist can hardly fail to be impressed by the number of these birds in 

 the many live oaks which add so much to the attractiveness of that 

 community. At The Cloister, a resort hotel on Sea Island, near 

 Brunswick, the birds are semidomesticated in and about the patio, 

 largely through the efforts of the genial hostess, Mrs. G. V. Cate, 

 and will take food and pose for photographs for visitors with remark- 

 able tameness. 



Conspicuous as this bird is at any season, it attracts perhaps more 

 attention in the fall and winter, for at these seasons it is particularly 

 gregarious, going about in great flocks. The term "darkening the 

 sky" seems still applicable to grackles, redwings, and cowbirds, such 

 veritable clouds of them are to be seen frequenting the grain fields in 

 the south in winter. 



The boat-tail is markedly terrestrial. It spends much time on the 

 ground searching for food, both in dry fields and the mud of marshes 

 or extensive flats, where the rather long legs result in its being a good 

 walker. Its attitude is at all times alert and vigorous, with the huge 

 tail held high and the gait firm and sure-footed, though one gets the 

 impression of a waddle at times. In windy weather the tail appears 

 to be a positive encumbrance. Its great area catches the wind like 

 a sail and at times turns the owner completely around. Sometimes 



