SPEINa ARRIVAL OF THE BIRDS. 15 



warble, lie greets a companion sure to be near. The 

 gracldes choose an elevated position from Avhich to sing, 

 but in feeding they are less ambitious,- and walk about 

 leisurely on the ground searching for grubs and worms 

 and other earth insects. In the fields they often follow, 

 at a safe distance, the plow, eagerly devouring the 

 fat, wriggling morsels brought to light by the upturned 

 furrow. They are, to quite an extent, city birds, haunt- 

 ing lawns where are evergreens, and often nesting in 

 these if the trees are large and dense. Forest Lawn is 

 one of their favorite resorts, and hundreds of them 

 remain here during the season. Every summer they 

 nest in the evergreens of the old part of the cemetery, 

 and a few pairs in the clumps of pines near the clear 

 lake. "When one of these nests is disturbed a dozen 

 birds will frequently become noisy and threatening, 

 making common cause against the intruder. They may 

 well be watchful and unite forces, as they are not fav- 

 orites of the smaller birds, which they often rob of eggs 

 and young. One is sorry to even speak of any birds in 

 other than commendatory terms, and if feasting on the 

 delicious green corn of the farmers at the beginning of 

 the fall migrations was their only fault, far would it be 

 from me to expose their short-coming; but robbing 

 nests and killing innocent birds are grievous faults, and 

 the perpetrators, be they men, boys or birds, ought not 

 to be shielded from proper punishment. The grackles 

 are very handsome, with trim figures and rich suits of 

 black and purple, emerald and bronze. These colors 

 are changeable, in different lights, often showing an 



