THE BIRDS OF WAYNE COUNTY. 303 



/ . 



This species exhibits considerable courage in defense of its nest, attacking with- 

 out hesitation such birds as the Red-shouldered and Sparrow Hawks, the Crow and 

 the Kingfisher, usually with success, often putting them to flight single-handed. An 

 attack upon the Cliff Swallow, on account of a supposed intrusion, does not seem to 

 be so well justified. 



By the middle of June, or even earlier, the Red-winged Blackbird commonly 

 begins to reassemble into small flocks, which gradually increase in size as the summer 

 advances, reaching their maximum during August. These hordes, often in company 

 with numerous Bronzed Grackles, again resort to the swamps and marshes to roost, 

 there occupying for this purpose the cat-tails ( Typlia latifolia), as well as the bushes 

 and trees. 



GENUS STURNELLA VIEILLOT. 



102. Sturnella magna (LINN.). 

 Meadowlark. 



Resident ; abundant during the spring, summer and fall, but not very common in 

 winter. It remains throughout the last mentioned season principally on the bottom- 

 lands and in the more sheltered fields of the uplands. It occurs to some extent in 

 small flocks from about the first of July until April. A flock seen January 4, 1892, 

 was accompanied by about fifty Horned Larks. The Meadowlark is comparatively 

 seldom noted in the towns, but during March and April it is occasionally observed 

 flying over. It nests generally in May, in suitable situations on both the uplands and 

 the bottoms. 



This species commonly begins to sing about the latter part of February, but ha 

 been heard, though rarely, as early as the first of January. It continues in song al- 

 most uninterruptedly from February until November. Mr. E. P. Bicknell mentions 1 

 the absence of song during September and the latter part of August, but the writer's 

 experience has been to find the species- in fairly good song often through both August 

 and September. 



GENUS ICTERUS BRISSON. 



SUBGENUS PENDULINUS VIEILLOT. 



103. Icterus spurius (LINN.). 

 Orchard Oriole. 



A tolerably common summer resident. It is apparently more numerous some 

 years than others, though never more than locally common. According to the notes 

 of the writer, it arrives between May 3 and May 16. 



It frequents almost exclusively orchards and the vicinity of country dwellings, in 

 -which localities it breeds. It apparently does not often venture into the towns be- 

 yond their outskirts, but one was seen singing, on July 3, 1893, near the center of the 

 business portion of Wooster. 



The exhibition of a trait that we are loth to believe characteristic of the species 

 was observed by the writer on May 20 1890. A Warbling Vireo was busily engaged 



i Auk II, 1885, p. 251. 

 5 B. W. C. 



