24 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



brought to the roost by the old male, and so until the last 

 comes, accompanied by the mother bird. 



About this time the molting begins for the old birds, and as 

 the fruit is just ripening, they need take no long flights in search 

 of food. 



By collecting the cast wing feathers that were found on the 

 lawns or near the roost each day, and comparing them with 

 those of a museum specimen, I found that the first feathers lost 

 were the innermost primaries, while toward the close of the 

 molting season those picked up were the outer primaries or the 

 secondaries. This coincided exactly with Mr. Stone's state- 

 ments, based upon a study of molting specimens. 



The general habits of the Grackles vary according to their 

 diet, as in June, while molting their flight feathers, they are 

 content to stay near-by and catch grasshoppers in the newly- 

 mown hay-fields or rob cherry trees and blackberry vines. As 

 their flight feathers get a little stronger, they visit the neighbor- 

 ing fields of green corn and other cultivated fields, still taking 

 time to scatter over the lawns just before going to roost in 

 search of worms and insects. 



As the summer wears on and the food becomes scarcer the 

 Grackles have to go great distances, but unfortunately I have not 

 been able to discover many of these distant feeding grounds and 

 therefore cannot give a very accurate account of how far from 

 the roost they actually feed. 



The only way I have been able to form any estimate of the 

 distance these birds traveled was by stationing myself at some 

 point of advantage and watching the lines of flight, but even 

 then I could only learn that they came from great distances. 



While at Medford, N. J., about September 1st, I noticed on 

 two separate afternoons Grackles flying west at a great height. 

 Medford is about thirty miles east of the Grackle roost at Ger- 

 mantown, and as Grackles are seen ever}' afternoon coming 

 from the east at a great height I think there is little doubt but 

 that they, in some instances, have their feeding grounds more 

 than thirty miles distant. 



A better understanding of the arrival and departure of these 

 birds may be formed from the detailed account of Sept. 12, 1900, 

 station on top of house near roost: 



