THE OOLOGXST. 



33 



is ;i veritable atjfTressive army in our 

 city from March to October. 



After a careful investigatioa, I am 

 satisfied that two broods are always 

 reared in a season, if the birds are un- 

 disturbed, and the male is not rarely 

 seen building a nest while his mate is 

 still feeding the brood which has left 

 the first nest. It is an interesting sight 

 to watch a pair build a nest. They are 

 methodical and though vei'y noisy when 

 away from the ti'ee are silent when 

 near their nest. Both birds work to- 

 gether, and I must acknowledge that 

 the old lady does the greater share of 

 lugging; the old man mainly superin- 

 tending the job, which is perhaps cor- 

 rect. He stays longer about the struct- 

 ure when he carries a load and it may 

 l)e presumed that he not only deposits 

 his own load but possibly also readjusts 

 the work of his mate. Perhaps my 

 lady readers will say that he was sol- 

 diering, and thej' may be right. 



Some nests are completed inside of 

 four days, and it requires over a week 

 in a few cases, but the average is be- 

 tween live and six days. Not rarely 

 the first egg is laid before the 

 nest is fully completed, a condition 

 which obtains at times with many other 

 species, but the finishing work goes on. 



The eggs are four, five or six and in 

 one case seven were found. The aver- 

 age number is five and about as many 

 are found with four as with six. They 

 are too well known to need description 

 from my pen. There are few, if any 

 eggs which offer greater variation in 

 color and markings in a single set, 

 than is occasionally exhibited in the 

 sets of this species. 



It is a fact that the nests formerl}- 

 universally placed in hollows, held 

 larger 5-ets than do the nests of today 

 which are found built outside, and 

 while many sets of six eggs were taken 

 in the hollows, it is comparatively rai'e 

 to find a set of six at the present day. 

 If anyone is disposed to corroborate or 



dispute ihis as.sertion let us htar from 

 them through these columns. 



During the period of incubation the 

 birds share almost equally in the du- 

 ties, although I am quite sure the 

 mother bird spends more time on the 

 nest during the day; but then the papa 

 may make it up during the silent vigils 

 of the night. 



When the young appear both the par- 

 ents strive to their utmost to serve the 

 nestlings, and are unceasing in their 

 efforts. At first, and when the young 

 are but a few days old, one of the birds 

 remain covering the brood while the 

 other searches for food. As soon as 

 the forager appears at the edge of the 

 nest, the brooding bird dashes away 

 and leaves the nest to the returning 

 bird. This habit I have also seen in 

 the case of the Robin and with others. 



Within fifteen or sixteen days of the 

 time when the young are hatched they 

 are out of the nest and flitting about. 

 They quickly learn fo care for them- 

 selves and seem more able to protect 

 themselves than young Robins, which 

 latter, I consider the most stupid and 

 clumsy young birds which I have met 

 with. 



A rookery of Grackles is a very noisy 

 colony and when a generation of young 

 is distributed in a neighborhood there 

 is considerable noise for a time. Still 

 I like to have them near and to watch 

 the beautiful glossy males as they de- 

 liberately walk about under the trees. 



The Bronzed Gi'ackle is a valiant bird 

 and will stick up for his rights in a very 

 able manner if the occasion calls for it. 

 Many of my readers have seen a Robin 

 chase a (irackle and completely rout 

 him, but I can assure you that the 

 Blackbird had nothing to gain in stay- 

 ing and only left to avoid trouble. 



One morning after a rain, when the 

 Robins were busily engaged dragging 

 earthworms to the surface and devour- 

 ing them, as every observer has seen 

 many times, a glossy Blackbird stood. 



