2o8 General Notes. [April 



the inland cornfields, where they spend the day, returning again to the 

 swamps before sunset. These flocks are often a quarter of a mile in width 

 and are more than an hour in passing — a great black bandslowlj' writhing 

 like some mighty serpent across the heavens in either direction, its ex- 

 tremities lost to view in the dim and distant horizon. Not unfrequently 

 three or four such vast flocks are in sight at one time. How far away 

 from their night resorts they go each day has not been observed ; an hour 

 and a half before sunset, twelve miles away from the river, the mighty 

 armies of Blackbirds are still seen coming over distant hills and directing 

 their courses toward the marshes. It is evident, however, that many miles 

 are daily traversed in their journeys to and from their feeding grounds. 

 Making liberal deductions for any possibility of over estimating, the nu- 

 merical minimum of individuals in a single flock cannot be far from twenty 

 millions. — Charles R. Keyes, Des Moines, la. 



Quiscalus quisculaaglaeus at Charleston, South Carolina. — Mr. Loomis's 



record* of the finding of the Bronzed Crackle (^. q. cenetis') at Chester, 

 South Carolina, reminds me that it may be well to mention that the bird 

 of the coast region of South Carolina appears to be the Florida Grackle 

 (o^. q. aglcetis). At least this is the only form that either Mr. Wayne or 

 I have thus far detected there. It is nowhere common, as far as our expe- 

 rience goes, but is apparently resident, for I found it breeding near Charles- 

 ton in 1884, and Mr. Wayne has just sent me three specimens taken near 

 Yemassee in January, 1888. 



As Mr. Loomis has previously reported true =^. quiscula from Chester, 

 it follows that South Carolina furnishes all three subspecies. — William 

 Brewster, Cambridge, Mass. 



The Evening Grosbeak in Ontario.— In 'The Auk' for July, 1887, Mr. 

 E. E. Thompson has a note on the capture of the Evening Grosbeak near 

 Toronto and records it as the fifth published occurrence in the Province, 

 the other four being given in 'Birds of Ontario.' Probably this bird occurs 

 every second or third winter in greater or less numbers, as I have fre- 

 quently noticed them in the cases of stuffed local birds which are to be 

 found all over the country. There is one in the collection of Ven. Arch- 

 deacon Sandys, Chatham, which was secured near that place; and one in 

 the collection of Mr. John Dodds, St. Thomas, also of local occurrence; 

 and one was taken near London in December, 1886, which I saw at the 

 house of a taxidermist, but was unable to obtain particulars. — W. E. 

 Saunders, London, Ont. 



Loxia curvirostra minor taken again at Yemassee, S. C. — Ten Red 



Crossbills were shot at Yemassee by a negro boy during the month of 

 January, 18S8. It seems as if they had changed their diet, as their crops 

 contained only worms, which are found in dead pine trees. There was no 

 'pine mast' to be had, and perhaps that accounts for their change of food. — 

 Arthur T. Wayne, Charleston, S. C. 



* Auk, Vol. V, No. I, p. 113. 



