RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD. 89 



in the most affectionate manner, nestling down on 

 the branch with their soft white feathers fluffed 

 out prettily. They did not mind me, and closed 

 their eyes as if the warm sunlight made them 

 sleepy. All of a sudden their mother flew up to 

 one of them with a fly, but was so startled on see- 

 ing me that instead of giving it to him she sprang 

 up on top of his head and was off like a flash, 

 almost tumbling him off the branch, and leaving 

 him very much scared and bewildered. As soon 

 as her nerves recovered from the shock she came 

 back again and went on with her work as if I had 

 not been there. The father seemed to be as rest- 

 less and pugnacious as the mother, and, if appear- 

 ances were to be trusted, was quarreling with his 

 neighbors in a tree near by, while his wife guarded 

 the picket and fed her young. 



XXV. 



RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD. 



THE large flocks of blackbirds seen coming 

 north in the spring are confusing at first, but by 

 careful observation you will soon be able to dis- 

 criminate between them. Sometimes the crow 

 blackbird and the red-wing fly together, but they 

 more commonly go in separate flocks. At a dis- 

 tance, the flight of the two is perhaps the most 

 distinctive feature the " keel-tail " steering ap- 



