THE YOUNG OOLOGIST. 



Vol. 1. No. 7. GAINES, N. Y., NOV., 1884. 



( Published Monthly. 

 "I 60c. Pek Year. 



The Crow Blackbird, or Bronzed 

 Grackle. 



Quiscalus purpureus seneus. 



For many years, during the fall and 

 early spring, a forest of young maples on 

 the old college farm has been the regular 

 resort, or roosting place, for thousands of 

 these birds. Soon after daylight on these 

 October mornings, the long sinuous cloud 

 of Grackles sweeps over the city of Man- 

 hattan, bound for the vast cornfields on 

 the bottom lands of the Kansas river. In 

 the evening, the return to roost is in some- 

 what detached bodies; but there is usually 

 one flock which is more extensive than 

 others. This gradually absorbs the 

 smaller bodies, and circles around the 

 roosting place until twilight, when all dis- 

 appear among the maples. All their evo- 

 lutions are accompanied by the usual chat- 

 tering noise. 



This habit of the Crow Blackbird has 

 been constantly observed in our latitude 

 farther east and southward. Indeed, these 

 birds breed in large companies. 



The thicket of black Austrian pines on 

 the college farm is a favorite nesting 

 place. Hundreds of pairs of Grackles 

 breed in them yearly, some of the pines 

 having several nests each. 



Farther south, along the Mississippi 

 river, these birds form "roosts" during the 

 fall and winter of almost incredible num- 

 bers. In Southern Illinois, flocks perhaps 

 a hundred times as large as those seen 

 here, occur. These scatter over an im- 

 mense territory during the day, but return 

 to the " roost" at nightfall. 



The question arises: Do not these birds 

 do great damage? It may be that question 

 is an open one for some localities; but for 

 the greater part of Kansas I would rec- 

 ommend that they be protected. 



I know some farmers look upon the 

 Crow Blackbird as an enemy to their in- 

 terests; but the charge has not been that it 

 destroys the maturing crop of corn. On 

 the other hand, they are charged with de- 

 struction to the young corn that has just 

 appeared above the ground. I have long 

 been convinced that this charge against the 

 Grackle is almost wholly groundless. I 

 have gone into the fields of young corn 

 where these birds were especially busy, 

 and have examined the young corn pulled 

 up. In nearly all cases the grain was un- 

 touched, and was evidently not that for 

 which the bird was searching. Further 

 observation showed that these cornfields 

 were much infested by cut-worms, and 

 that the birds were evidently engaged in 

 destroying them. The cut-worms often 

 burrow at the base of the young plant and 

 the bird destroys the plant in getting the 

 worm. I will not deny that the birds 

 often do eat the grain when thus exposed; 

 but they do not seem to have that purpose 

 in view. 



Mr. B. H. Warren, of West Chester, 

 Pennsylvania, has given to the State Ag- 

 ricultural Society of that State the results 

 of an examination of the food taken by a 

 a large series of specimens of the Ci'ow 

 Blackbird killed during the different 

 months. The results seem to substantiate 

 what I have said. 



In March twenty-nine specimens were 

 examined. They had eaten chiefly insects 

 and seeds; in five corn was present, and in 

 four wheat and oats were found. "All of 

 these grains were in connection with an ex- 

 cess of insect food." 



April — Thirty-three were examined. 

 Food chiefly insects, but with a small 

 amount of vegetable matter. 



May — Eighty-two examined. Food al- 

 most entirely insects, chiefly cut-worms. 



June — Forty-three examined. Showed 



