23 



on the Hudson. Cow-Blackbirds come to us in abundance early in 

 April, and may then be seen running swiftly and gracefully about, — 

 not hopping,— and picking up seeds in newly-planted fields. They 

 are reproductive parasites, as well as polygamists. One of their 

 eggs was hatched by the European House Sparrows, in Highland 

 Falls, N. Y. ; the young Cow-bird thrived, and remained with the 

 Sparrows in the town for some time, and it was a common sight to 

 see them feeding it in the street. Their amours are conducted in an 

 amusing manner. The sexes associate indiscriminately, and in vary- 

 ing proportions. The males, in green-black and chocolate-brown 

 dress, commence the performance by walking about with their necks 

 arched, and decurved, so that their bills nearly touch the ground; then 

 a male approaches one of the females, — which are considerably 

 smaller, and brownish in color, — running at full speed, and, when close 

 to her, pitches forward till his bill nearly touches the ground : this 

 as if in salutation. The difierent males repeat this movement, and 

 the more ardent ones ruff up all their feathers, and drag their ex- 

 panded tails upon the ground, as they strut up to the side of their fav- 

 orites, with skins inflated to an indefinite and alarming extent by the 

 amorous passions within; meanwhile they utter various uncouth gut- 

 tural noises, some of which resemble the loud, " cork-drawing "notes 

 of the Corvidce, while others are precisely like the sounds produced 

 by tilting a partly empty cask. The females pay little attention, fill 

 their crops, and utter an occasional note resembling that of the Cedar- 

 bird {Ampelis cedrorum). 



Dimensions. — Average measurements of eleven males : length, 

 7-92; stretch, 13o7; wing, 4-2-t; tail, 3-01; culmen, -67; gape, -68; 

 tarsus, 1-02; middle toe, -72; middle toe and its claw, -94; claw 

 alone, -25. Average measurements of five females: length, 7-18; 

 stretch, 12-22; wing, 3-84; tail, 2-68; culmen, -61; gape, -63; tarsus, 

 •94; middle toe, -04; middle toe and its claw, -94; claw alone, '26. 



96. Agelseus phcsniceus (Limie). Red-winged Blackbird; 

 Marsh Blackbird. A common summer resident; breeds. Arrives 

 about the beginning of March (first seen March 25, 1871 ; April 2, 

 1872; March 31, 1873; April 25, 1874; March 18, 1875; 6, 1876, Thomas 

 W.Wilson; April 7, 1877; March 27, 1878 ; 29, 1879; 28, 1880), and 

 departs before December (last seen November 17, 1877). 



Dimensions. — Average measurements of twenty -two males ; length, 

 9-51; stretch, 15-23; wing, 4-72; tail, 3-77; culmen, -93, gape, -97; 

 tarsus, 1-11; middle toe, -77; middle toe and its claw, 1-05. Average 

 measurements of eight females: length, 7*74; stretch, 12-56; wing, 

 3-92; tail, 3-01; culmen, -74; tarsus, 1-01. 



97. StumeUa magna {Linne). Meadow-lark; Field-lark. 

 A resident species ; but only occasional, and never abundant, in win- 



