THE TKICOLORED BLACKBIRD. 457 



known to me to breed in tule marshes from sea level u\) to an altitude of 1,500 

 feet. I rarely noticed it in the higher foothills and moiuitains." 



In Lower California Mr. A. W. Anthony reports the Tricolored Blackbird: 

 "Rather common along the northwest coast, breeding in all fresh-water marshes; 

 and in San Rafael Valley Mr. L. 13elding fomid a large colony nesting in tales. 

 May, 1885."^ 



Mr. L. Belding, in his manuscript notes, which he kindh' jdaced at my dis- 

 posal, describes the breeding place of an immense colony (»f this species, found by 

 him on May 10, 1879, near Stockton, California, as follows: "I noticed a flight 

 of tliese birds, mostly females, coming and going from and to the center of an 

 extensive tule marsh to a pasture some 3 miles distant from this place, not in 

 compact flocks, but a straggling Hight of individuals, which seemed to move 

 independently of each other; those returning were laden with grasshoppers for 

 their young. By following the birds I found their nests, which were placed iu 

 last year's tule and in a vigorous growth of that of the present season. They 

 averaged about a nest to the square yard, and these were usually attached to the 

 tule stems of this and last year's growth, about 2 feet, and occasionally only a 

 foot, above the water. I examined nearly a hundred nests. The greatest number 

 of eggs found in any one was three; the usual number was two, and many con- 

 tained but a single egg or a young bird. None of the young were more than a 

 week old. The colony, consisting of many hundreds, was apparently not thriv- 

 ing; some of the nests had slipped from their moorings and were ca|)sized in the 

 water, many ^^oung were dead, and a cf)nsiderable number of the eggs Avere 

 addled; all of the nests examined were built without nuid." 



Mr. H. W. Henshaw found a colony of these birds nesting in a dry pasture, 

 in a patch of nettles and briars covering between 3 .and 4 acres, in the Santa 

 Clara Valley, California, on June 21, 1875. The nettles grew so dense and high 

 (sometimes attaining a height of 12 feet) that he found it almost impossil)le to 

 force his way into their midst, nor did he succeed in penetrating beyond a few 

 yards. He remai-ks: "I speak within bounds when I say that two luuulred pairs 

 had here congregated to rear their young, and the odor arising from some 2>ortions 

 was ahnost as strong jis from the Cormorant rookeries. The nests were there by 

 hundreds, nearly every bush holding several. These were, however, mostly 

 old, showing that the place had served for a breeding resort for probably many 

 years. A few of the nests were this season's and contained young, none that I 

 saw having eggs, though could I have extended my search some would doubtless 

 have been found. The nests were rather slight, flimsy structures, but in genei-al 

 resembled those made by the Redwing of the East, and were fastened on the 

 bushes in the same way. My presence among them created a great disturbance, 

 and the trees were soon covered with the ])arent birds, one and all resenting this 

 intrusion on their old-time possessions in no gentle tones. A few days later I 

 came across an immense flock of young birds in the streaked nesting pll^mage, 

 able to take care of themselves; they had gathered thus together and fairly 



' Birds of Lower Califorui.a, California Academy of Natural Sciences, Vol. II, 1889, p. 294. 



