THE PURPLE GRACKLE 



319 



very odd-looking. This bird has no song, and its sign of 

 contentment with life is like a great asthmatic wheeze. The 

 tail of this bird is creased lengthwise along the middle, or 

 "keeled." 



Prior to the systematic investigations of the Department 

 of Agriculture the value or harmfulness of the Crow Black- 



PURPLE GRACKLE. 



bird was in dispute. The examination of two thousand 

 three hundred and forty-six stomachs revealed that during 

 an entire year the food supply of this bird is made up in 

 the following percentages: insect food, 26.9; other animal 

 food, 3.4; corn, 37.2; oats, 2.9; wheat, 4.8; other grain, 

 1.6; domestic fruit, 2.9; wild fruit, 2.1; weed-seed, 4.2; mast, 

 14; total, 100. "The charge that the blackbird is an ha- 

 bitual robber of birds' nests is disproved by the stomach 

 examinations." (F. E. L. Beal.) 



