BIRDS OF THE PASTURE AND FOREST. 209 



wise inside of the spire of a cliurcli and in martin-houses. 

 Indeed, Mr. S. P. Fowler thinks tliat as human population 

 increases, the Grackles are gradually assuming the habits 

 of the Englisli Rooks. Like the Eook, they are naturally 

 gregarious, and as the area of agriculture is expanded, and 

 woods afford birds less protection than formerly, they are 

 disposed to seek artificial shelter in the vicinity of towns, 

 that they may feed upon insect food, which in these local- 

 ities is very abundant. 



The Purple Grackle has, upon examination, very beau- 

 tiful plumage ; for its black feathers are full of various 

 tints, changeable, according as the light ftills upon them, 

 into violet, purple, blue, and green. We see, however, 

 nearly all the same varying shades in the plumage of the 

 common Cock, when it is black. They are said to con- 

 sume so much corn as to seriously injure the crop wher- 

 ever they exist in larg6 numbers. Still they are so use- 

 ful as to deserve not only protection, but encouragement, 

 and groves in which they can nestle without disturbance 

 should be saved for them. 



Like the Redwing, they assemble in large flocks in the 

 Southern States. According to Wilson, the magnitude of 

 their assemblages can hardly be described. In "Virginia 

 he witnessed one of these myriad flocks settled on the 

 banks of the Roanoke. When they arose at his approach, 

 the noise of their wings was like distant thunder, and 

 they completely hid from sight the fields over which they 

 passed by the blackness of their multitudinous flocks. 

 He thought the assemblage might contain hundreds of 

 thousands. The depredations of such immense flocks 

 upon the Indian-corn crop must be incalculable, since 

 they are known to attack it in all stages of its growth, 

 beginning as soon as it is planted. 



In New England they remain only during the breeding- 

 season, when it is a w^ell-established fact tliat their whole 



