KUSTV CRACKLE. 147 



there and entering from the marsh, visited the grove regularly. I always found them there 

 in the morning, walking about on the ground and overturning the rubbish in search of 

 their prey. They were not in the least shy, in fact it was difficult to make them fly at all, 

 but when approached quite closely or when alarmed at the' report of a gun, they would 

 alight on the trees over my head, but after a moment would settle down again. They re- 

 main in Florida until after the first of March when they migrate. 



The Rusty Blackbirds arrive in Massachusetts about the middle of the month and 

 frequent the trees and shrubbery by the side of streams. They are, while here, the most 

 unsuspicious of all the Blackbirds, allowing one to come quite near them without exhib- 

 iting the slightest alarm. In Florida they are silent or at best only utter that peculiar 

 chirp of alarm given by all the Blackbirds, but here they make a most unmelodious attempt 

 to sing, emitting a wheezy kind of croak. This rude lay is all the song that our dark- 

 colored friends are capable of giving and evidently the birds consider it a most brilliant 

 performance for they spread their tails, raffle their feathers, and strut proudly before the 

 silent females who are seemingly quite impressed with the superiority of their mates. 

 These Grackles linger for a time, but in the middle of April depart northward. 



There are spots on the Magdalen Islands which might rightly be termed sloughs, 

 for they are perfectly inaccessible as the surface, although apparently solid, is in reality so 

 thin that it will not bear the weight of a dog. This floating mass of vegetation, however, 

 supports bushes and in some cases small trees all of which grow very thickly together. I 

 had observed Blackbirds about them on several occasions, but as they kept well in the 

 center of the large tracks, I could not make out at first what they were but after a time 

 found that a large colony of Rusty Grackles were evidently building in one of the above 

 described places. All efforts to penetrate the fastness proved unavailing and upon visiting 

 tin locality somewhat later, (about the middle of July) I concluded by the movements of 

 the birds that the young were out, but I did not procure any. This species breeds at Lake 

 Utnbagog, Maine, and Mr. E. Harrington obtained a nest there, early in June, which 

 contained fresh eggs. 



By the last week in September the Rusty Grackles reappear in Massachusetts where 

 they frequent the fields of ripened corn, but I do not think they eat the grain for I never 

 found anything in their stomachs except insects and small mollusks. They remain in 

 small flocks until the middle of October, then depart southward. I found them gathered in 

 large numbers with the Crow Blackbirds in Pennsylvania, and migrate with them a little 

 later in the month. 



GENTS VIII. ()IISCAI.I S. THE BOAT-TAILED BLACKBIRDS. 



'ins. I'M. Bill, stuut, nut n-ri/ iininli-il nor hrnnd at tip, about as lonyasthe head. Upper mandible, curved. Wini/.i, 

 a lill/e short/ r thnn the. tail irhiili is (jrniliuitnl. f< //, larye. Sternum, narrow. Krt-l, ln;/li<r than one half I hi- iritlt/i nj'lli' 

 xiirnuni. Mnrijinnl indrntntinns considerably c.rccediny in depth tin hrii/hl <ij' // /."/. Coracoids, much shorter tlian thf. 

 top of tkr k"/. XlnniiK'h. "/ r< rij muscular. Size, laryc. 



The adult males are black in color. The females are much duller and smaller. The tail, when spread, is lioat-sliapod. 

 Tlii-rc are never any bright 



