﻿Common Birds in Relation to Agricnltiire. 509 



writer says that it damages grapes, but none were found. 

 In fact, a few blackberries and cherries comprised the 

 only cultivated fruit detected in the stomachs, the 

 remainder of the vegetable food being wild fruit and 

 a few miscellaneous seeds. 



THE CROW BLACKBIRD, OR GRACKLE. 



(Quiscalua quiscula.) 



The crow blackbird or one of its subspecies is a familiar 

 object in all of the States east of the Eocky Mountains. 

 It is a resident throughout the year as far north as 

 Southern Illinois, and in summer extends its ransre into 

 British America. In the Mississippi Valley it is one 

 of the most abundant birds, preferring to nest in the 

 artificial groves and windbreaks near farms instead of the 

 natural " timber " which it formerly used. It breeds also 

 in parks and near buildings, often in considerable colonies. 

 Farther east, in New England, it is only locally abundant, 

 though frequently seen in migration. After July it 

 becomes very rare, or entirely disappears, owing to the 

 fact that it collects in large flocks and retires to some 

 quiet place where food is abundant and where it can 

 remain undisturbed during the molting season, but in the 

 latter days of August and throughout September it usually 

 reappears in immense numbers before moving southward. 



It is evident that a bird so large and so abundant may 

 exercise an important influence upon the agricultural 

 welfare of the country it inhabits. The crow blackbird 

 has been accused of many sins, such as stealing grain and 

 fruit and robbing the nests of other birds ; but the farmers 

 do not undertake any war of extermination against it, 

 and, for the most part, allow it to nest about the premises 

 undisturbed. An examination of 2,258 stomachs showed 

 that nearly one-third of its food consists of insects, of 

 which the greater part are injurious. The bird also eats 

 a few snails, crayfishes, salamanders, small fish, and occa- 



