498 LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



charges against them is the destruction of the young and eggs of smaller birds, 

 especially those of the Robin. ' Granting that remains of eggshells are some- 

 times found in their stomachs, which seems to be the case about once in twenty- 

 five times, it does not fully prove that all of these birds are guilty of such an 

 obnoxious habit, and on the whole it can be safely asserted that the Purple 

 Grackle does far more good than harm, and deserves to be protected, excepting 

 in localities where they winter, and where, from then immense numbers, they 

 may become a serious nuisance. 



They spend much of their time on the ground, being essentially ground 

 feeders ; they walk along close to the heels of the farmer while plowing, picking 

 up beetles, grubs, etc., as they are turned up by the plow, or search the meadows 

 and pastures for worms, grasshoppers, and other insects suitable for food. They 

 are at all times, eminently social birds, even during the breeding season; a num- 

 ber of pairs generally nest together, and frequently several nests will be found 

 in one tree. Small colonies of Purple Grackles breed regularly in the public 

 parks of Washington, District of Columbia. They also nest sometimes in com- 

 pany with other species, being apparently on good terms with their neighbors. 



In the selection of nesting sites, thick, bushy coniferous trees, such as cedars, 

 pines, and firs, seem to be preferred, but many other kinds are likewise used, 

 notably such as are overrun with vines. Where suitable trees are not available, 

 thick bushes, especially such as overhang water, are also made use of, where the 

 nests are occasionally placed scarcely 4 feet from the ground. Sometimes natural 

 cavities in trees or hollow stubs, as well as the excavations of the larger Wood- 

 peckers, are also used, and along the seashore, where the Fishhawk is common, 

 they often place their nests in the interstices of these bulky structures, notably 

 so on Plum Island, New York. Speaking of this locality, the late Dr. Charles 

 S. Allen says: "In every Fishhawk's nest, except those on the ground, I always 

 found from two to eight or ten nests of the Purple Grackle. They were situ- 

 ated in crevices among the sticks, under the edges of the nest, or even beneath 

 the nest itself, so as to secure protection from rain and bad weather. They were 

 very bold in collecting fragments from the table of their powerful neighbor." 1 



Mr. J. H. Pleasant, jr., of Baltimore, Maryland, writes as follows: "On May 

 19, 1888, 1 discovered a colony of Purple Grackles nesting under the eaves and 

 rafters of a hay barn. In some instances the entrance to the nest was so small 

 that it was extremely difficult to obtain the eggs. The crevices in which the 

 nests were built were very much of the same character as those frequently chosen 

 by the English Sparrow, and were situated at an average height of 25 feet from 

 the ground; over a dozen nests were observed." 



Mr. Theodore W. Richards, of Washington, District of Columbia, found a 

 colony of these birds in Northampton County, Virginia, in May, 1891, breeding 

 in a grove of small second-groAvth pines, some 20 feet in height, in company 

 with Green Herons. The Grackles' nests were invariably placed in the very top 

 of the trees, while their less assuming companions were content to dwell in the 



i The Auk, Vol. IX, 1892, p. 319. 



