RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD. 283 



tion it extends its migrations to the interior of the Fur Countries, 

 reaching the Saskatchewan about the 20th of May. 



We should hke to see him here, his yellow head making a bright 

 spot among the soml)re-i)lumaged Cowbirds and Grackles. 



Genus AGELAIUS Vieillot. 

 AGELAIUS PHCENICEUS (Linx.). 



204. Red-winged Blackbird. (49S) 



Mah : — Uniform histrous black ; lesser M'ing coverts, scarlet, broadly 

 bordered by brownish-yellow or brownish-white, the middle I'ow of coverts 

 being entirely of this color, and sometimes the greater row likewise are similar, 

 producing a patch on the wing nearh' as large as the red one. Occasionally 

 thei'e ai-e traces of red on the edge of the wing and lielow. Female : — Smaller, 

 under 8 ; everywhere streaked ; aljove, blackish-lirown with pale streaks, 

 inclining on the head to form median and superciliary stripes ; below, whitish, 

 with very many sharp dusky streaks ; the sides of the head, thi'oat and the 

 bend of the wing, tinged with reddish or fulvous. The young male at first like 

 the female, but lar-ger- ; apt to have a general Iniffy or fulvous suffusion, and 

 bright bay edgings of the feathers of the" back, wings and tail, and sooir 

 showing black patches. Leirgth, 8-9 ; wing, 4^-5 ; tail, .3^-4. 



Hab. — North Anier-ica in gener-al, from Gr^eat Slave Lake south to Costa 

 Rica. 



Nest, lar-ge for- the side of the l)ii-d, composed of rrrshes arrd sedges loosely 

 put together' arrd lined with gr'ass arrd a few hor'se-hairs, irsually fasterred to the 

 buhrxshes, sorrretinres placed irr a bush or' trrssock of gr-ass rrear' the gr'oirrrd. 



ICggs, forrr' or five, pale bhre, crrrioirsly rrrarked with br'own. 



This s^jecies is generall}' distributed and breeds in suitable places 

 throughout the Province. It is very common near Hamilton, breed- 

 ing abundantly in the Dundas marsh, and in the reedy inlets all 

 around the shores of Hamilton Bay. As soon as the young broods 

 are able to fly, old and young congregate in flocks, frequenting the 

 stubble fields and moist meadows by day, and roosting at night 

 among the reeds in the marsh. As the season advances the numbers 

 are increased hj others arriving from the north, and during October 

 very large flocks are observed in the places they frequent. Towards 

 the end of that month, if the Aveather gets cold, they all \\\o\e off" to 

 the south. None have been observed here during the winter. 



This species has a wide distribution, being found from Texas and 

 Florida, as far north as .50' on the Atlantic coast, and 57' in the 

 west, and breeding throughout its range. It is said also to occur on 

 the Pacific slo^ie, where several closel}^ allied species are more or less 

 •common. 



