208 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



rii)eniiig corn, and only loss* destructive because less numerous. It appears 

 to be an abundant sjiecies in all the settled portions ot" tlie western region, 

 extending to tlie eastward as far as Wisconsin, and even to Southeastern Illi- 

 nois, one s])ecinien havini^ been obtained in Wisconsin by Mr. Kuinlien, and 

 others in Wabash Co., 111., bv Mr. llidijjwav. 



In tlie sunnner, according to Mr. IJid,Liway, it retires to the cedar and 

 pinon mountains to l)reed, at that time seldom visiting the river valley. 

 In the winter it resorts in large tlocks to the vicinity of corrals and ])arn- 

 vards, where it becomes verv tame and familiar. On the od of June he 

 met with the Ijreecbng-ground (jf a colony of tiiese birds, in a «^rove of 

 cedars on the side of a canon, in tlie mountains, near ryiamid J^ike. 

 Xearlv evcrv tree contained a nest, and several had two or three. Eacli 

 nest was .saddled on a horizontal branch, genemlly in a thick tuft of foliage, 

 and well concealed. The majority of these nests contained young, and 

 when these were disturbed the ])arents tlew about the heads of the in- 

 truders, uttering a soft eh nek. The maximum nund)er of eggs or young 

 was six, the usual number four or tive. In notes and manners it seemed 

 to be an exact counterpart of the C ferriKfhieus. 



Dr. Suckley found these birds (|uite abundant at Fort Dalles, but west of 

 the Cascade Mountains they were (piite rare. At Fort Dalles it is a winter 

 resident, where, in the cold weather, it may frcipiently be found in tlocks in 

 the vicinity of l)arn-yards and stables. Dr. Cooper also obtained specimens 

 of this ( Jrakle at Vancouver, and regards it as a constant resident on the 

 Columbia Iliver. He saw n(>ne at Puget Sound. In their notes and habits 

 he was not able to trace any difference from the Rusty Blackbird of the 

 Atlantic States. In winter they kept about the stables in ilocks of fifties or 

 more, and on warm days Hew about among the tree-tops, in company with 

 the licdwings, singing a harsh but ])leasant chorus for hours. 



Dr. Cooper states it to be an abundant species everywhere throughout 

 California, except in the dense forests, and resident throughout the year. 

 They frecpient ])astures and Ibllow cattle in the manner of the Molothrvs. 

 Thev associate with the other lUackbirds, and are fond of feedin-,,^ and bath- 

 iiiLj along the edges of streams. They have not much som;, but the noise 

 made by a large tlock, as they sit sunning themselves in early spring, is said 

 to be ([uite jtleasing. In this chorus the IJedwings frequently assist. At 

 Santa Cruz he found them more familiar than elsewhere. They Impiented 

 the vards about houses and stables, buildini; in the trees of the o^ardens, and 

 collecting daily, after their hunger was satisfied, on the roofs or on neighbor- 

 ing trees, to sing, for an hour or two, their songs of thanks. He has seen a 

 pair of these birds ])ursue and drive away a large hawk threatening some 

 tame |>igeons. 



This s])ecies has an extended distribution, having been met with 1)V ^Ir. 

 Kennicott as far north as Pembina, and being also abundant as far south as 

 Xorthcrn ^lexico. In the Boundary Survey si)ecimens were procured at 



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