ICTERID^I THE AMERICAN ORIOLES. 827 



Tliis fine but unpopular bird is very common throughout the 

 State, and, like the Blue Jay, is in many places one of the most 

 familiar of birds, nesting in the groves or shade trees within towns, 

 evincing little fear of man. In the fall they congregate in large 

 numbers, which keep together during the winter, and in the spring 

 when these large companies break up they do not disband entirely, 

 but separate into colonies of greater or less extent, the different 

 pairs of which build their nests in as close proximity to one another 

 as suitable places for their location will permit. In their choice of 

 a location for the nest they are by no means particular, any place 

 where it can be securely attached answering the purpose equally 

 well ; and it is by no means unusual to see in the same tree sev- 

 eral nests, some saddled on horizontal branches, others built in a 

 large fork, and others again in holes, either natural or those made 

 by the Flicker. On a small island, near Mount Carmel, densely 

 covered with a growth of young willows of twenty to thirty feet in 

 height, but very slender, the writer once found a colony numbering 

 upwards of seventy nests, all attached to the willow trees and sup- 

 ported against the trunks by small twigs. In the immediate vicinity, 

 along the river bank, were many other nests, most of them built 

 inside of holes in the large dead trees or in stumps. 



The Crow Blackbird is quite as omnivorous as the Crow or Blue 

 Jay, and whenever opportunity offers will not hesitate to attack and 

 eat smaller birds, especially defenseless young. But his own off- 

 spring are sometimes destroyed by carnivorous enemies, the writer 

 having once seen, in the locality mentioned above, a Fox Squirrel 

 (Sciurus ludovicianus CUSTIS) emerge from a hole in a large dead 

 tree with a young blackbird in its mouth. The squirrel was attacked 

 by a number of the blackbirds, who were greatly excited, but it 

 paid no attention to their demonstrations, and, after descending, 

 scampered off into the woods with its prey. 



The general habits of the Bronzed Grackle are in all respects 

 identical with those of the Purple Grackle (Q. quiscula), unless it 

 may be that it is more apt to build its nest in holes of trees than 

 the latter species. We do not think, however, that they really 

 differ in this respect, but believe that Q. quiscula will prob- 

 ably be found to avail itself of such nesting sites when they 

 are to be found in the localities which they frequent. Certain it is 

 that Q. ceneus builds its nests in exactly such situations as are sup- 

 posed to be usually chosen by Q. quiscula whenever no holes are 



