DELAWARE VALLEY ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB. 17 



two hundred birds were seen to pass in flocks of from two to 

 forty. Tiie flight started at 5.30, ceasing at 6.45 p. m. On 

 August 24th at Westville (S. G.) the birds started to gather in 

 a grove of trees at 5.30 p. m. The flight stopped at 6.35. 

 Birds came in by detachments of from ten to two hundred, 

 some of the larger flocks being long-drawn-out and scattered. 

 About fifteen hundred birds assembled here, coming in from 

 directions indicated by lines converging at (S. G.). The 

 Grackles kept up a continual creaking while they waited for late 

 arrivals. At 6.45, five minutes after sunset, all left in three 

 compact flocks at intervals of one- half minute, flying southwest 

 toward the roost, indicated by line running from (S. G. ) 

 to (F. G.). 



On September 5th, the final gathering place (F. G. ), an ex- 

 tensive wood of high chestnuts, was located at North Woodbury. 

 The birds commenced to come into it at 5.15, first appearing in 

 small flocks, later, about sunset, in flocks of five hundred or a 

 thousand. From (F. G. ) the birds started to go into the roost 

 (R) proper about sunset, over a line of tall shade trees leading 

 from (F. G.) to (R.). The final gathering-place was used by 

 the birds only when disturbed by gunners, who frequented the 

 place. When not disturbed, the large flocks, late arrivals, went 

 direct to the roost (R). 



Examining this data, it is evident that, though some of the 

 Grackles went through three stages of flocking, the most of them 

 passed through but two, before they reached the roost. From a 

 comparison of the times, given for the beginning and end of the 

 flights, and from other data which was secured along the line of 

 flight, it can be seen that the birds commenced to gather at 

 (P. G.), (S. G.), (F. G.) about the same time each evening. 

 Hence it is undoubtedly true that some of them went through 

 only one flocking stage and others none at all, flying direct to 

 the roost from a feeding-ground nearby. Similar gatherings 

 were noted by other observers, one being observed at a feeding- 

 ground and two others consisting of huge flocks some distance 

 from a roost. It may also be observed from this data that the 

 Grackles, which fed far from the roost and also those nearby, 

 started to fly at about the same time each evening, those nearest 



