110 THE RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD. 



or even in a tree; in my locality, for the most part, among 

 the cat-tails. I found the nests very abundant on St. 

 Clair Flats, built in the sedges over the water. It is a basket- 

 like structure, composed outwardly of coarse, flexible mate- 

 rials commonly the dried leaves of the cat-tails and sedges 

 of the previous year fastened 'near the base of the old 

 stalks still standing, and lined with fine dried grasses, or 

 occasionally with horse-hair. It belongs to the style of 

 bird-structures called "basket-nests." In this little swamp I 

 have sometimes found a nest every few rods, or even every 

 few feet. Then it is interesting to note the difference 

 between the several sets of eggs. Frequently more than an 

 inch long, they are often much less; now larger and quite 

 pointed, and now roundish; the delicate tinge of green 

 which makes the ground-color is darker or lighter; the 

 markings, in the form of pen-dashes, dots and blotches, 

 thick and heavy, or light and few, scattered over the entire 

 surface, in a wreath near the middle, or in a bunch at the 

 large end. These odd markings appear like the written 

 symbols of some strange language. The Red-wings gener- 

 ally breed more or less in communities. As with the rest 

 of the Icteridae family, the male is not accustomed to take 

 the nest, but is most assiduously attentive to the female 

 during incubation. Sometimes two broods are raised in a 

 season in this locality, the eggs of the first being laid in 

 May and those of the second in July. 



In spring and early summer the destruction of insect-life by 

 the Red-winged Blackbirds is incalculable. Of this every far- 

 mer must be convinced, as he observes the flocks which search 

 the pastures and plowed grounds. The breeding season over, 

 they gather in immense noisy flocks, and are exceedingly de- 

 structive to corn and other grains; but, probably, in nowise 

 counteract the good they do in the earlier part of the year. 



