ORNITHO LOGY ImU 

 vntf>- _••••• I OOLOGY - 



SURBER. EDITOR a PUBLISHER 



Yol. 1. 



JULY 1889. 



No. 7. 



BLACKBIRDS AND MIGRATION. 



BY S. A. BALL. 



An observation of the Graekles and Blackbirds when 

 engaged in singing, induces the belief that music is an 

 art for which they have no natural taste, but which they 

 cultivate rather assidiously in order to be in the fashion. 

 Their creaking notes and the apparent difficulty the bird 

 experiences in getting them out makes one long to get 

 hold of them and give the larynx of each a good oiling. 



The extreme mildness of the past winter ( ? 88-'89) has 

 allowed Quiscalus to hang around here in South-west 

 Missouri, in company with blackbirds, through nearly the 

 whole season — a thing that is not common with him. 

 They stayed all through the fall and on Jan. 19th. while 

 I was on the creek, I happened on a mingled flock of 

 thirty or forty birds who were chinking notes together 

 very comfortably, tho' they presently flew off southwest. 



