454 LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



adjacent keys, north, as far as known, to Matanzas Inlet, and possibly along 

 the Gulf coast to Louisiana. 



There is a specimen in the United States National Museum collection, taken 

 at Lake Borgne, Louisiana, showing all of the characteristics of this race, 

 which is distinguishable from the common Red-winged Blackbird by its larger 

 and sharper bill and smaller size. First Lieut. Wirt Robinson, Fourth Artillery, 

 United States Army, found this subspecies breeding abundantly at Matanzas 

 Inlet, and secured several skins which are i-eferable to it. 



Mr. C. J. Maynard, in his Birds of Florida, describes the habitat and nesting 

 habits of the Bahaman Redwing as follows: 



"The widespread marshes of the Everglades of Florida are covered with 

 a luxuriant growth of tall grass, which attains to the height of 5 or even 6 feet. 

 These vast plains form the homes of hundreds of Red-winged Blackbirds, and 

 there they also breed. As the grass is submerged in at least a foot of water in 

 the spring, the Blackbirds are obliged to suspend their nests near the tops of the 

 stout stalks, of which they bring several together, weaving the leaves in the nests 

 and around them in order to make them secure. The Everglades are seldom 

 free from wind, which often blows a gale, waving the grass back and forth 

 furiously, so that the birds are forced to build exceedingly compact structures 

 or they will be blown to pieces. The nests are therefore made of the leaves of 

 the coarse saw grass which abounds, neatly and firmly woven together. The 

 swaying motion to which their domiciles are constantly subjected has a tendency 

 to throw the eggs out, and would were it not that the birds, who have doubt- 

 lessly been taught by the experience of former generations, build their nests 

 very deep, and, not content with this, they make them more secure by contract- 

 ing the entrance so much that it is impossible for the eggs to fall out even when 

 the grass bends so that the tops touch the water. I discovered the first nests 

 in that locality on the 8th of April, and they each contained three eggs, which I 

 afterwards found were all that were ever deposited. These, contrary to the rule 

 among birds which lay a less number of eggs in the South than in the North, 

 were proportionately smaller when compared with New England specimens. 



"May 1 of that season found me standing on one of the small outer keys, 

 about 100 miles south of the point last described. This islet, like many others, 

 contained a small lagoon in the center, around which was a belt of land that 

 supported a number of trees, mainly the kinds known as "button wood" and 

 "mangTdve." There were a large number of Red-winoed Blackbirds breeding 

 on this key; but I Avas j)uzzled to find the nests, for I could not see them in the 

 trees, and there were no bushes or grass. After watching them attentively for 

 a few moments I saw a female emerge from a small hole in a Ijuttonwood tree, 

 not far from the ground, and, climbing up to it, discovered the nest, which was 

 built like that of a Bluebird. I afterwards found several In similar places, all 

 containing- eggs. For a time I could not understand why the birds had chosen 

 these novel situations for homes, but the 'ha-ha' of a group of Fish Crows 

 helped to enlighten me; for I knew that the predatory habits of the latter-named 

 species renders the eggs of all birds unsafe if exjjosed, unless the owners are 



