The Birds and Poets 129 



The bronze grackle, or common crow blackbird, 

 is a handsome creature. He never runs or hops, 

 but walks about as grave and dignified as a judge. 

 He greatly resembles his cousin, the purple 

 grackle, in appearance. Mr. Ridgway describes 

 the latter as "brassy olive or bronze," his neck as 

 "steel blue, violet, purple or brassy green," and 

 his wings and tail as "purplish or violet purplish." 

 Florence Merriam calls him the "black opal." 

 Seen in the shadow, he appears no more beautiful 

 than the crow, but when the sun's rays fall directly 

 upon his glossy back he reveals a beauty of plumage 

 almost tropical in the height of its coloring and the 

 brilliance of its sheen. "Tyrian purple is not like 

 unto the splendor of his dress." 



Mr. Burroughs says of his song: "The air is 

 filled with cracking, splintering, spurting, semi- 

 musical sounds, which are like pepper and salt to 

 the ear," — which is an apt description of the late 

 season notes of either the grackle or the red-wing. 



Lowell offers a similar description: 



"* * * the blackbirds clattering in tall trees, 

 And settlin' things in windy congresses." 



Early this month I observed a large flock of 

 red-wings gathering in a grove of maples in the 

 streets of a small village, and when the birds had 

 taken possession of the trees a saucy blue jay who 

 had preempted one of the trees was greatly dis- 

 pleased. Invoking his well-known powers of 



