248 MEMOIRS OF THE NUTTALL ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB. 



Three of these birds spent the severe winter of 1903-4 at Wenham and 

 were fed daily by Mr. C. H. Keith. 



I have always been fond of these black rascals, but I feel that I am now 

 justified in this fondness, for they have taken to building their nests in towns 

 and cities, and there are hopes that they will diminish the numbers of the 

 English Sparrow. 



In the early spring and in autumn are the best times to see the Bronzed 

 Grackle for then he descends upon the land in great flocks. He is particularly 

 fond of the salt marshes, the dunes, and the beaches. On April 24th, 1904, I 

 counted carefully a flock of 225 in the salt marsh at Ipswich, and large flocks are 

 not uncommon. Several times in the fall, flocks of a thousand have been seen, 

 and I estimated that one at Hamilton on October 7th, 1904, contained at least 

 1500 individuals. 



Bronzed Crackles' tracks in the sand dunes show that the birds often drag 

 the middle claw, and occasionally all three front claws, like the Crows. They 

 walk among the pools on the upper beach with tails elevated to keep them out 

 of the water. They are frequently chased by irate Robins whom they have 

 doubtless bereaved. In the vegetable garden they walk sedately between the 

 rows of peas, adroitly picking out the fat ones. 



Among the bogs of the dunes their nests are common, generally about 

 eight feet from the ground, in small stunted trees. 



206 [514] Hesperiphona vespertina (W. Coop.). 

 Evening Grosbeak. 



Accidental visitor from the northwest ; January 3 to April. 



In 1890, there was a remarkable invasion of these birds from the north- 

 west. They arrived early in January, continued in considerable numbers 

 throughout that month and February, and the first week of March, while some 

 lingered through April. There are seven specimens in the Peabody Academy 

 collection, namely : four from Boxford taken in the spring of 1 890 ; two from 

 Swampscott, taken on January 3d, 1890; one from Lynn, taken January 25th, 

 1890. Rev. William P. Alcott writes me that on January 31st, 1890, he shot 

 one out of a flock of eight at Boxford. 



Fourteen years later, on March 23d, 1904, Mr. C. E. Brown ^ found five of 

 this species at Beverly in a willow tree together with some Robins and Rusty 



1 C. E. Brown : Auk, vol. 2i, p. 385, 1904. 



