A COLONY OF GRAKLES. 109 



two birds raised a second brood, which means a further 

 check upon insect life of some forty-five thousand five 

 hundred more worms and grubs, or a total of one hun- 

 dred and seventeen thousands of insect life, in larval or 

 mature state. The food of the parent birds has not 

 been considered in the above calculation ; this added, 

 and we have a grand total of about one hundred and 

 fifty thousands of forms of insect life destroyed, all of 

 which would have proved more or less destructive to 

 the growing crops. 



Grakles early attracted the attention of the settlers in 

 this country, not only because of their great numbers, 

 but from an unfortunate habit which they then had of 

 eating too much corn. The Swedes called them maize- 

 thieves, and considered that, of all birds, they did " the 

 greatest mischief in this country." Peter Kalm, writ- 

 ing from Swedesboro, N. J., in February, 1749, says: 

 "They have given them that name because they eat 

 maize, both publicly and secretly, just after it is sown 

 and covered with the ground, and when it is ripe. . . . 

 As soon as the leaf comes out they take hold of it with 

 their bills and pluck it up, together with the corn or 

 grain, and thus give a great deal of trouble to country 

 people, even so early in spring. . . . When the maize 

 grows ripe . . . they are continually feasting. They 

 assemble by thousands in the maize-fields, and live at 

 discretion. ... As they are so destructive to maize, the 

 odium of the inhabitants against them is carried so far 

 that the laws of Pennsylvania and New Jersey have 

 settled a premium of threepence a dozen for dead 



