FROM A NOTE BOOK OF MANASSEH CUTLER. 125 



nightly repose. The place being found a large number 

 go into the bushes among them some time in tho night, 

 with guns, & discharge them as fast as they can load & 

 fire, untill y*" whole flock is routed. The guns put them 

 in y^ utmost confusion, & with an hedious noise occa- 

 sioned by y" notes of y"" wings among y^ bushes, like 

 that of a rushing tempest, they rise from their beds in a 

 body & make a precipitate flight many miles distant, & 

 return no more for y*' season. After a successful Black- 

 bird experdition, a sing bird is scarcely seen for miles 

 around their roosting place during the remainder of 

 autumn. The red-tving Black-bird sometimes associate 

 with the Croiv black-birds, especially in corn thieving. 



Red-winged Blackbird. Oriolus jphceniceus. May 

 11, 1787. In rainy weather y*' red does not appear so 

 plainly on y^ wings, but they have a lightish yellow 

 appearance. I think it is y® same in very hot weather, 

 owing to its being concealed by y® feathers of y'^ body 

 just above y^ insertion of y^ wings, which are preaty 

 long, falling over them. In a storm}' day observed a 

 large number, & was near them, which I was ready to 

 take for another species, as I could see nothing of y® red, 

 but only a small yellowish spot, whether they were on the 

 wing or sitting on trees — at length I killed one, which is 

 y^ specimen I am now describing, & found the red had 

 been concealed as above. I also killed his mate at y*' 

 same time. 



Black Martin. Ilirundo purpurea. May 14. 1787. 

 The specimen from which this discription is taken was 

 found under a martin's house in my garden near y^ close 

 of a long N. E. storm, in which much rain had fallen. 

 It appeared to be in a <lying state. I brought it into y^ 

 house — the next morning it was dead. Whether y*' 

 severity of y^ storm or some disorder was the cause of 



