92 THE BIRDS OF MONTREAL. 



Island of Montreal. Immense numbers of these 

 birds flock together in the autumn to feed in the 

 fields, and in the afternoon towards sundown, num- 

 erous flocks commence to fly to some favorite 

 swamp to roost for the night, where they keep 

 up an incessant chorus of chatterings till dark. 

 Flocks of Rusty Blackbirds, and Bronzed Grackles 

 join the Red-winged Blackbirds to roost together, 

 and assist with their numbers to make up these 

 large concourses of birds. Observed here from 

 April 12th to November 1st. 



Genus Sturnella. Vieillot. 



160. Meadowlark. S. magna. (Linn.) 



" Summer Resident," scarce. Mr. Craig says this 

 species used to breed near the old fort at St. Johns, 

 P.Q., twenty-seven miles southeast of Montreal. 

 Occasionally they have been shot at River Beau- 

 dette, forty-three and a half miles by rail west of 

 Montreal, but I do not think they occur on the 

 north side of the River St. Lawrence east of Mont- 

 real. Mr. Denne shot one October 10, 1891, up 

 the creek at Laprairie, the only one seen at the 

 time. This last record shows this species to occur 

 within seven miles of Montreal on the south shore 

 of the St. Lawrence river, and it is possible that 

 the meadowlark does visit the island of Montreal, 

 although I have never met with any here. 



