260 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS 
and one blackish blotch. (6) Very light greenish, faintly and 
evenly marked with lilac and dull brown. In short, the ground- 
color varies from a rather strong bluish-green to various faint 
and indefinite shades, and the markings (which are often coarse 
scrawls or blotches) from blackish to light and vague colors, 
all of which are for. the most part dull, the brightest being 
rusty-brown. 
(c). The Crow Blackbirds are common summer-residents in 
southern New England, though very much confined to certain 
localities (as Cambridge), where they live more or less in com- 
munities. They are said to reach Eastern Massachusetts in 
March, but 1 have not observed them until April, when they 
often appear in very large flocks, flying at a considerable 
height, and commonly moving northward. They then roost in 
low pine-woods at night, and during the day resort to ploughed 
lands and fields. If frightened from their roost, they rise with 
a loud roar of their wings, and many noisy exclamations. In 
the latter part of September, and in October, they may be 
found near Boston in flocks of several hundreds, visiting open 
woods, for heech-nuts or acorns; also lawns, orchards, and 
farms. While thus assembled, they continually chatter so 
loudly as to be heard at the distance of a mile or even more. 
They obtain most of their food from the ground, over which 
they walk, occasionally with greater agility than one might ex- 
pect. They feed upon seeds, small nuts or sometimes berries, 
and various insects, especially those which infest the soil. 
Though in this way beneficial, they do great injury by their 
depredations on grain-fields, and their fondness for the eggs 
and young of other birds. Disagreeable as it is to witness 
the extermination of any feathered creature, I should not hesi- 
tate to sign a death-warrant in the case of these robbers. 
They are remarkably fearless, and unhesitatingly familiar to- 
ward man, often closely approaching houses or entirely disre- 
garding the various scare-crows employed to intimidate them. 
Their flight is somewhat undulatory, but is very vigorous. 
(d). The Crow Blackbirds have a loud chuck or check, vari- 
ously uttered, an occasional chatter or whistle, and in spring 
