BIRDS OF NELSON COUNTY. 31 



Genus Icterus. 



101. *Ictenis spurius (Linn.). Orchard Oriole. 



A common summer resident. Arrives about April 20th. 

 Sings a great deal on the wing. 



102. ""Icterus galbula (Linn. ). Baltimore Oriole. 



A common Summer resident. Arrives about the same 

 time as the preceding. A great depredator upon grape 

 arbors. Gov. J. Proctor Knott finds them a great nuisance 

 in his large vineyard near Lebanon. When engaged in 

 their robberies they are absolutely silent, and are perfectly 

 aware, that, as far as they are concerned, grapes are for- 

 bidden fruit, for whenever a man with a gun comes into 

 view, they are "off like a shot" — and it may be super- 

 fluous to add, before they are shot. 



Genus Scolecophagus. 



103. Scolecophagus caTolinvs (Mij-LL.). Rusty Blackbird. 

 Transient. Common during the migration. Sometimes 

 apjjearing as early as the middle of February, and occa- 

 sionally seen as late as November 4th. The "rusty " part 

 of his name will apply as well to his voice as to his coat. 



Genus Quiscalus. 



104. *Quiscaluspurpureusseneus'RmGW AY. Bronzed Grackle. 

 A summer resident ; very abundant in early spring. This 

 is the commonest and best known of the three blackbirds 

 we have here. A noisy colony of them have for many 

 years bred in some tall pine trees in a large yard in Bards- 

 town, and one night in August, 1880, during an exceed- 

 ingly violent storm many of them were killed, probably 

 by Hying, or being violently blown against obstacles of 

 some sort. 



