ICTERID Ji — THE ORIOLES. jq]^ 



stacks. JV. Sucklcy s]'eaks of them as quite coiniiion west of the Cascade 

 Mouiitaii)s, arriving from the Soutli in Marcli. Fii all the marsliy places of 

 the eiilirL' Wt'st Mr. llid«;way met with this species and their nests in «;reat 

 abundance. In all respects he found the western birds identical with the 

 eastern. Their nests were in low bushes in overflowed meadows. 



Donald (lunn found tliis species common in the lied lliver Settlements; 

 and llichardson met with them on the Saskatchewan, where they arrive in 

 May, but do not breed until the 20th of »luue. 



Jn Xew England this Blackbird is j^enemlly migratory, though instances 

 are on record where a few have been known to remain througliout the win- 

 ter in Massachusetts. They are among tlie earliest to arrive in si)ring, 

 coming, in company with the llusty Grakle, as early as the H'th of ^larch. 

 Those which remain to breed usually come a month later. Thev breed 

 throughout Xew Enghxnd, as also in Xew Brunswick and Xova Scotia. 



It is eriuallv abundant and resident in Arizona and Texas, and in tlie ad- 

 joining portions of ^lexico. (.)n the Bio (Irande, Mr. Dresser found it very 

 abundant, breeding on the banks of the rivers and streams. In the wintt^ 

 season these birds are found in immense flocks in the lower ])arcs of Mrginia, 

 both the Carolinas, and all the (lulf States, particularly near the sea-coast 

 and among old fields of rice and grain. Wilson states that once, passing, in 

 January, through the lower counties of A^irginia, he fre(|U(.atly witnessed 

 the aerial evolutions of great bodies of these birds. Sometimes they ap- 

 peared as if driven aljout like an enormous black cloud carried before the 

 wind, \aryi;)L: every moment in shape. Sometimes they rose up suddenly 

 from the fields with a noise like thunder, wliile the glitterhig of innumeralile 

 wings of the l)nghtest vermilion, amid tiie black chuid, occasioned a very 

 striking eftiect. At times the whole congiegated multitude would suddeidy 

 alight in some detached grove and commence one general conce."t, that he 

 could plainly distinguish at the distance of more than two miles, and when 

 listened to at a distance of a quarter of a mile, the flow of its cadences was 

 grand, and even sublime. 



He adds that with the Redwings the whole winter season seems one con- 

 tinued carnival. They find abundant food in the old fields of rice, buck- 

 wheat, and gi'ain, and much of their time is spent in aerial movements, or 

 in grand vocal performances. 



Early in March these large assemblies break up. A part separate in 

 ])airs and remain among the Soutliern swamps. The greater portion, in 

 smaller flocks, the male bird leadimij the wav, comnif nco their movements 

 northward. Late in April they have all re-established themselves in their 

 chosen haunts, have mated, and are prei)aring to make their nest;:>. In Penn- 

 sylvania this is done in May, in Xew England early in June, and farther 

 north a fortniulit later. For tlieir nest thev invariably select either the 

 borders of streams or low mar.sl -' situations. These they usually place in 

 low bushes, such as grow in moist situations, among thick bunches of reeds, 



VOL. II. SI 



