A Florida fishenuau, diiiins- the early part of April, 

 1885, cauglit a nuiubei- of "perch" wliich spoiled before 

 a market could be fouud for tliem. Tlie decaying car- 

 casses were tossed into the river, to float away or to be 

 •'gobbled up" by the voracious "catties.'' Several of 

 these defunct fishes lodged among tlie shell rocks lin- 

 ing the banks. Probably an hour after the castaways 

 had lain along the riverside, three Orciw Blackbirds 

 were seen — quoting the phraseology of a "cracker" who 

 was pi'esent at the time — ''to jLiie de fish and feast 

 "emselves to plum fulness." After the departure of 

 the sable visitants, inspection of the feeding place 

 revaaled that the biids had picked out the eyes of 

 seven, or all but one, of the fishes, three of which were 

 considerably torn about the abdominal regions. The 

 mutilated condition of the belly muscles is mainly at- 

 tributed to the fact that the fish had been eviscerated 

 before having been thrown away, hence these incised 

 parts were more accessible to mandibular acticm than 

 other and unbroken parts of the scaly anatomy. Cer- 

 tainly there is no O'bvious reason why the abdominal 

 and neighboring pectoral portions of a "perch" should 

 be mwe i-alatable to the siirightly "Whiieeyed .lack 

 daw," as the native Floiidiaus aie accustoiiKMl In (ciin 

 the species. 



THE BROXZRI) I'.LACKRIRD. 



The P.ronzed Oracklc (Q. qniscrda aenus, Kidgw.'i 

 is the common Crow Rlaikbiid loinid in I'.-iiusylvaiiia 

 west of the Allegheny mcunlaiiis. In i-asicrn I'cniisyl 

 vania this bird is rathei' rare. Tliis variety differs 

 from the typical quiscula chiefiy in having a unifonn 

 bras.siv-eolored body, and wings and tail jturidish or 

 violet, never bluish. 



