THE PURPLE GRACKLE 319 
very odd-looking. This bird has no song, and its sign of 
contentment with life is like a great asthmatic wheeze. The 
tail of this bird is creased lengthwise along the middle, or 
“keeled.” 
Prior to the systematic investigations of the Department 
of Agriculture the value or harmfulness of the Crow Black- 
a8 aS ——— 
PURPLE GRACKLE. 
bird was in dispute. The examination of two thousand 
three hundred and forty-six stomachs revealed that during 
an entire year the food supply of this bird is made up in 
the following percentages: insect food, 26.9; other animal 
food, 3.4; corn, 37.2; oats, 2.9; wheat, 4.8; other grain, 
1.6; domestic fruit, 2.9; wild fruit, 2.1; weed-seed, 4.2; mast, 
14; total, 100. “The charge that the blackbird is an ha- 
bitual robber of birds’ nests is disproved by the stomach 
examinations.” (F. E. L. Beal.) 
