298 LIFE-HISTORIES OF BIRDS 



wounded wer- brought together, and piled in heaps by 

 persons purposely assembled. Wilson's account is cor- 

 roborative of the one just described, in all essential par- 

 ticulars. 



The food of this species consists mainly of the seeds and 

 fruits of various plants, which it is able to meet with. 

 Though principally graminivorous and- frugivorous, it is 

 not exclusively so, as numerous beetles are destroyed. Its 

 food consists of the fruits of Qiiercus alba. jg. rnbra, ,<g. 

 patustris, Bet 21! a excel sa^ B. -uigra, Pag us fcrmginca. 

 Ambrosia artemisicc folia, Amarantus Jivbridns. and the 

 berries of Pyrus Americana* Amelanchier Canadensis* 

 Mitchclla repcns, Jttnipcnts -cirginiana* and Louiccra 

 periclyrnenum^ besides the catkins of Alnus serrulata and 

 Betula excelsa Among insects, we have detected remains 

 of Cratonycliiis cinercus* Harpalus compar* II. pensylva- 

 nicus, (Edipoda nebidosa, CE. sulphured, and others. 



When a suitable feeding-place is discovered, the birds move 

 in circles over the spot, then descend to a lower level and 

 make a movement as if to alight, when all of a sudden, they 

 take to flight, but speedily return and pass through the same 

 manoeuvres, as if undecided, or apprehensive of hidden dan- 

 ger. The flapping of so many wings when large flocks are 

 about to alight, is said to produce a reverberation which 

 sounds like distant thunder. A large extent of country is 

 cleared in an incredibly short space of time. When satiated, 

 they repair to the trees to repose and digest their meal. 



The usual call-note of this species is kee-kee-kee, which 

 is repeated several times in succession ; the first syllable 

 being louder, and the final, fainter than the rest. During 

 the breeding-season, its note resembles that of the do- 

 mestic Pigeon, but is rather shorter. It is represented by 

 coo-coo. 



Although these birds are pre-eminently gregarious, yet 

 on the approach of the breeding-period, like most other 

 species that go in flocks, they separate in pairs. During 



