BLACK THUIPIAL.S. 



23 



bird, Q. <2uUculci, Q. aglceus, and ','. leiuus. Respecting 

 the Jiabits of (J. quiscula (the typical fornij Captain 

 Beiidire says |" Lite Histories of North American 

 liirds," VoL IL, p. 497-499) :—" The Piu-ple Gvacldo, 

 abio called tlie ' I'niple Crow Blackbird,' or simply 

 'Crow Blacl<bird,' is one of the best-known and most 

 familiar birds of the localities which it inhabits. In 

 the northern i)arts of its range it is migra.tory, depart- 

 injj iifiially in the lieginnitis;' of October for its wintei' 

 home in our Southern .States, where it congregates in 

 imnwnso Hoclvs in tsuitable localities, while in the more 

 soutiiern sections it is a resident tliroughout the year, 

 and hi-eede -ivherever found. The birds that, migrate 

 usiually return to their breeding grounds early in Marxh, 

 and a few even in the latter part of February, when 

 tlieir arrival is re:idily noticed. Their peculiar, squeaky 

 notes, consisting of a variety of mostly indescribable 

 sounds, such as "dineekh. dweekh, tchiih, tchah, tchah, 

 (luilk, (juak." or "d.e. do>," which seem to he uttered 

 with considerable difficulty, and are invariably accom- 

 panied by the opening of the vvings and tail, may be 

 heai-d any morning in early spring from the treeJtops 

 in iiaither open countiy, in paeitures, as well as in city 

 IKirks. 



"At this time of the year small companies, con- 

 sisting of from twelve to fifteen birds, are usually seen 

 together, roving from place to place and chasing each 

 <rtiher about in search of mates. Unfortunately, as in 

 the ctiso of many other siiecies, the Pui'ple Urackle is 

 not looked upon with favour by the average farmer, and 

 they are often shot in large numbers because they help 

 themselves to a. little corn when other food is scarce. 

 Considered from an economic point of view, and judged 

 by careful examinations made by the United vStates 

 Dei)artmemt of Agriculture of a number of stomachs of 

 these birds killed during every month of the year, it 

 is shown that tbeir food consists largely of animal 

 matter, such as grassliojupers. caterpillars, spiders, 

 becitles. cutworms, lan'ae of different insects, remains of 

 small mammals, frogs, newts, cranvtish, email molluscs, 

 and fish. Wliile it moist be admitted that Indian corn, 

 oats, and wheat are also ea/ten to some estent, maich 

 of the vegetable matter found in their stomachs consi5;t.<i 

 of the seeds of noxious weeds, such as the ragweed 

 {Ambrosiu), smart-weed (Polygonum), and others. Fruit 

 is used but sparingly, and consiMs usually of mulberries, 

 blacklierries, and occasionally of cherries. One of the 

 grave.* charges against them is the destniction of the 

 young and eggs of smaller birds, especially those of 

 the Robin. Granting that remains of egg-shells axe 

 sometimes found in their .stomachs, which seems to be 

 the case about once in twenty-five times, it does not 

 fully prove tbat all of these birds are guilty of such an 

 obnoxious habit, and on the whole it can be eafely 

 asserted that the Purple G-rackle does far more good 

 than harm, and desei-ves to be protedted, excepting in 

 localities where thev winter, and where, from their 

 immense numbers, they maj' become a serious nuisance. 



■■ They spend muoh of their time on the ground, being 

 essentiaMv ground feeders; they walk along close to the 

 heels of the farmer while ploughing, picking up beetles, 

 grnibs, etc., as they are turned up by tbe plough, or 

 search the meadows and pa.^tiires for womij. grass- 

 hojiipers. and otlier ineeots suitable for food. They are 

 at all times eminently social birds, even during the 

 ^ breeding season ; a number of pairs generally nest 

 ^together, and frequently several nests will be found in 

 -^cne tree." 



"In the .-aelection of nesting-sites, thick, busby. 

 coniferous trees, such as cedars, pines, and firs, seem to 

 be preferred, but- many other kinds are likewise used. 



notaibly such as are overrun with vines. Wheie suitable 

 'trees are not availalble, thick bushes, especially such as 

 overhang water, ai'e also made use of, wbere^the nests 

 are occasionally j>laced scarcely four feet from th(- 

 ground. Sometimes maitural cavities in trees or hollow 

 stuibs, as well as the excavations of the larger Wood- 

 peckers, axe also used, and along the seashore, where 

 the Fishhawk is common, they often place their nests 

 in the interstices of these bulky structures, notably so 

 on Plum Island. New York." 



"" The nests are rather loosely constructed and bulky. 

 The materials used vary greatly according to locality ; 

 the outer walls are usually composed of coarse grass, 

 weed st:ilks, eelgrass, or seaweed, sometimes with, a 

 foundation of mud, and again without it. The inner 

 cup of the nest is composed of similar but finer mate- 

 rials, and is generally lined with dry grass, among 

 which occasionally a tew feathers, bits of paper, strings, 

 and rags may be scattered ; in fact, anything suitaJble 

 and readily obtainalble is liable to be utilised. 

 Esteriorly the nests vary from five to eight> inches in 

 height, and from seven to nine inches in diameter, 

 according to location. They are ordinarily about three 

 inches deep by four indhes wide inside. The neste are 

 placed ait various distances from the ground, some as 

 low as three feet, and others at the extrem'e tops of 

 trees, or on horizontal limlbs from twent.v to thirty feet 

 up, or occasionally even higher." " Incubation, in 

 which both parents assist, lasts about two weeks, and 

 they are equaj'.ly solicitous in thedefence of their eggs or 

 young ; the laitter are aible to leave the nest in about 

 eighteen days, and sometimes a second brood is raised. 

 They are fed almost entirely on insects while in the nest . 



"The number of eggs to a set varies from four to six. 

 very rarely seven, and sets of five are most often found. 

 The shell is strong, fine grained, and slightly glossy." 



He then tells us that the ground colour varies from 

 pale greenish white to pale roisity brown, blotched or 

 streaked with iiTegular lines or dashes of various shades 

 of dark brown, sometimes also with lavender markings, 

 and rarelv with the marldngs so profuse and ev-enly 

 distriibiited as to hide the aground tint. He is rather a 

 prolix writer, as mil be seen by tbe foregoing account, 

 which could have been rendered' far more concise with- 

 out lo,<is of information. 



In 1872 this Troupial was represented at the Berlin 

 Aquarium, and since 1880 has appeared at the London 

 Zoolouical Gardens. It was bred by Dr. Julius Wentko 

 in 1884. t'he female alone building the nest and laying 

 her eggs every two days ; the young were born in aboiit 

 sixteen days ; tbey left the nest a month later. Dr. 

 Wentko received tbe sHver medallion ait the Ornis Exhi- 

 bition at Berlin foi' breeding this species. 



BO.A.T-TAII.ED TK0tTPi.4L (Qulscalus major). 



Blackish shot with green ; head and neck purplish ; 

 bill and feet black. Female much smaller, smoky 

 brown with slight metallic reflections on upper surface, 

 middle of abdomen dirty white; anal tuft blackish. 

 Halb., coast region of South Atlantic States of North 

 America. (P. L. Selater.) 



Captain Bendire says (" Life Histories," pp. 506-508) : 

 " Like the rest of the Grackles. tbey are gregarious and 

 sociable in their habits, breeding together in colonies in_ 

 suitable localities, and roving about during the rest of 

 the year in large fiocks. " 



" They spend a good deal of their time on the ground, 

 walking along slowly and sedately while se:irching for 

 food. It requires quite an effort for one of the birds 

 to rise from the ground, and until fairly started its 

 flight is slow. bea\-v, and laborious. 



