Familiar Studies of Wild Birds 



at a nesting site near a small lake, many of the 

 nests being scattered on small islands, where 

 they were free from molestation. As the 

 grackles walked along the water's edge with 

 their [peculiarly ludicrous strides, they pre- 

 sented with their glassy yellow eyes a striking 

 appearance. Frequently they submerge their 

 entire foreparts in efforts to secure choice 

 morsels, and on certain rare occasions I have 

 seen them dive from the air into the water for 

 shiners as do terns, rising to shake the mois- 

 ture from their feathers with as little concern 

 as do the real divers. But the grackles also 

 obtain much of their food in the underbrush 

 and on the meadows. 



The males sing repeatedly the few notes 

 of their not unpleasing song, accompanying 

 this with the ruffling of feathers and the 

 spreading of tails, and they often follow the 

 females, uttering this song, which is appar- 

 ently characteristic of the mating season. 



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