THE TEICOLOEED BLACKBIED. 457 



known to me to breed in tule marshes from sea level up to an altitude of 1,500 

 feet. I rarely noticed it in the higher foothills and mountains." 



In Lower California Mr. A. W. Anthony reports the Tricolored Blackbird: 

 "Rather common along the northwest coast, breeding in all fresh-water marshes; 

 and in San Rafael Valley Mr. L. Belding found a large colony nesting in tules. 

 May, 1885."^ 



Mr. L. Belding, in his manuscript notes, which he kindly placed at my dis- 

 posal, describes the breeding place of an immense colony of this species, found by 

 hira on May 10, 1879, near Stockton, California, as follows: "I noticed a flight 

 of these birds, mostly females, coming and going from and to the center of an 

 extensive tule marsh to a pasture some 3 miles distant from this place, not in 

 compact flocks, but a straggling flight of individuals, which seemed to move 

 independently of each other; those returning were laden with grasshoppers for 

 their young. By following the birds I found their nests, which were placed in 

 last year's tule and in a vigorous growth of that of the present season. They 

 averaged about a nest to the square yard, and these were usually attached to the 

 tule stems of this and last year's growth, about 2 feet, and occasionally only a 

 foot, above the water. I examined nearly a hundred nests. The greatest number 

 of eggs found in any one was three; the usual number was two, and many con- 

 tained but a single egg or a young bird. None of the young were more than a 

 week old. The colony, consisting of many hundreds, was ap2Darently not thriv- 

 ing; some of the nests had slipped from their moorings and were capsized in the 

 water, many young were dead, and a considerable number of the eggs were 

 addled; all of the nests examined were built without mud." 



Ml-. H. W. Henshaw found a colony of these birds nesting in a dry pasture, 

 in a patch of nettles and briars covering between 3 and 4 acres, in tlie Santa 

 Clara Valley, California, on June 21, 1875. The nettles grew so dense and high 

 (sometimes attaining a height of 12 feet) that he found it almost impossible to 

 force his way into their midst, nor did he succeed in penetrating beyond a few 

 yards. He remarks: "I speak within bounds when I say that two hundred pairs 

 had here congregated to rear their young, and the odor arising from some portions 

 was almost as strong as from the Cormorant rookeries. The nests were thei'e by 

 hundreds, nearly every bush holding several. These were, however, mostly 

 old, showing that the place had served for a breeding resort for probably many 

 years. A few of the nests were this season's and contained young, none that I 

 saw having eggs, though coidd I have extended my search some would doubtless 

 have been found. The nests Avere rather slight, flimsy structures, but in general 

 resembled those made by the Redwing- of the East, and were fastened on the 

 bushes in the same way. My presence among them created a great disturbance, 

 and the trees were soon covered with the parent birds, one and all resenting this 

 intrusion on their old-time possessions in no gentle tones. A few days later I 

 came across an immense flock of young birds in the streaked nesting- plumag-e, 

 able to take care of themselves; they had gathered thus together and fairly 



' Birds of Lower California, California Academy of Natural Sciences, Vol. II, 1889, p. 294. 



