THE IOWA O'RNITHOLOGIST. 



43 



singing- very loudly. In the 

 spring they are a glossy green 

 color, but in the fall the plumage 

 is mixed with rusty brown." 

 (R. M. Anderson.) "This black 

 bird appears here very early in the 

 spring, sometimes seen in Van 

 Buren Co, in the winter, only as 

 a migrant." (^W. G. Savage.) 

 "Abundant in spring and fall in 

 Jackson Co. They often migra;;e 

 in large flocks, and sometimes 

 they are in company with Red- 

 wings and Bronzed Grackle. They 

 were present in 1894 from Sept. 

 24, until Nov. 10." (H. G. Gid- 

 dings. ) "They appear in spring 

 and fall in large flocksi, do not 

 nest here. "(Wm. Savage.) "Com- 

 mon from middle of Marc h until 

 middle of April, and from the 1st 

 of October until late in November. 

 Often in company with other 

 black-birds." (Lynds Jones.) 

 "Common in both migrations in 

 BuenaVista Co."(Jno. V. Crone.) 



511b. Quiscalus quiscula aeneus. 

 (Ridg.) 



BRONZED GRACKLE. 



February to November; exceed- 

 ingly abundant throughout the 

 state. "Particularly fond of cedar 

 trees for nesting sites. "(W. A. 

 Bryan.) "Nests in colonies 

 about farm-houses. Sometimes 

 more than one nest is found in 

 the same tree."(R. M. Anderson) 

 "The nests are often placed as 

 high as possible from the ground 



and are very bulky affairs, com- 

 posed of grass, rootlets, lined 

 with hair, strings, feathers and 

 wool. Sets of five eggs are most 

 common, but I have taken sets of 

 six."(C. R. Ball.) "Nests in 

 young orchards. I have found as 

 many as four of their nests in one 

 small tree." (Wm. Savage.) 

 "Very plentiful in Fayette Co. 

 Nests in evergreens near dwell- 

 ings." (P. C Woods.) "Very 

 common from early March until 

 late November. Breeds in colon- 

 ies, in shade trees about farm- 

 dwellings; Ivombardy poplar 

 preferred. "( Lynds Jones. ) "Found 

 in open upland. Nests in ever- 

 green trees, in dooryards. Comes 

 late in March or early in April. 

 Is a good protector of the poultry 

 yard from depredations of Crows, 

 Hawks, etc. When its young are 

 ready to leave the nest, it becomes 

 very quarrelsome. I have seen 

 one strike a cat. Although a 

 large colony nests near my house, 

 they never injure garden or field. 

 In 1857 I spent the fall months in 

 Guthrie Co., then very new, the 

 Bronzed Grackle was very numer- 

 ous, many thousands in flocks and 

 were very destructive to the corn 

 crop. Hatches but one brood 

 after which it is not much seen, 

 while in September it is seen in 

 larare flocks until November 

 when it departs for the South." 

 (H. Heaton.) "Abundant summer 

 resident in Buena Vista Co. 

 They are gregarious, and nest in 



