14 A-BIRDING ON A BRONCO. 



low-headed blackbirds sitting with dignity on a 

 grape-vine. Although his fellows often flock with 

 redwings, this bird did not deign to follow the 

 cultivator with the others, but flew off and away 

 while I was watching, showing his striking white 

 shoulder patches as he went. The distinguished 

 birds were sometimes seen assembled farther 

 down the valley ; and I once had a rare pleasure 

 in seeing a company of them perched high on the 

 blooming mustard. 



The son of the ranchman told me an interest- 

 ing thing about the ordinary blackbirds. He 

 said he had seen a flock of perhaps five hundred 

 fly down toward a band of grazing sheep, and all 

 but a few of the birds light on the backs of sheep. 

 The animals did not seem to mind, and the birds 

 flew from one to another and roosted and rode 

 to their heart's content. They would drop to the 

 ground, but if anything startled them, fly back 

 to their sheep again. Sometimes he had seen 

 a few of the blackbirds picking out wool for 

 their nests by bracing themselves on the backs of 

 the sheep, and pulling where the wool was loose. 

 He had also seen the birds ride hogs, cattle, and 

 horses ; but he said the horses usually switched 

 them off with their tails. 



On our way home we passed a small pond 

 made by the spring rains. Since it was the only 

 body of water for miles around, it was especially 

 refreshing to us, and was the rendezvous of all 



