ORIOLES. 257 



their yonng, they often form large flocks. They are then 

 chiefly dependent npon seeds, and are less common in 

 pastures. 



d. There is something ludicrons, and vet pitiable, in the 

 efforts of the male to express his passions musically. It is 

 often as painful to hear him and see him, as to converse with 

 one who smrrei-s badly. He ruffles his feathers, spreads his 

 ^ngs and tail, gives a convnlsive movement to his body, and 

 yet produces nothing but a .shrill, unmusical chict-see. He 

 often adds to this, or splutters out at other times, a chattering 

 call, quite distinct from that of any other bird, or uners a few 

 low guttural notes, not audible at a distance. He has in 

 common with other members of his family a loud chuclc ; but 

 he is not wholly destimte of musical powers. One may often 

 hear in spring, from the top of some tree, a clear, pensive, 

 but rather shrill whistle, usually followed by a few similar 

 but falling notes. These belong to the Cow-birtl. who also 

 whistles sometimes as he takes to ^ng. 



There is much yet to be smtlied in the habits of these birds, 

 and much that requires the attention of a specialist.* Even 

 the ornithologist who devotes his time to his proper pursuit is 

 too much occupied in May and June to make the neeessarv 

 observations. Few mc>nograph5 in natural history could be 

 more interesting than one of the Cow-birds. 



JX. AGTITiATP'S 



A. PHtESiCECi. Hed-icinged B''7cJJyird. Siramp 

 Blackbird. Jlcrr^h Blacliird. " Eed-icing." A very 

 conumon summer resident throughout ilassaohnsetts. t 



a. f . about nine inches long, lustrous black : shoulders, 

 scarlet, bordered by a color vaiyLng from brownish yellow to 

 whitish. 2 , about Ti ineiies long. Back. ere., dark bro'^vn 



* Ttis still i^mains endnriitly tnie. meado'irs deep aninn^ the momxtains 



— W. B. or far back in the prrantixe foresrs of 



^ One of onr most abundant sum- ihe noith. It has been fo:nii in Jan- 

 mer birds, breeding in ^leat nimo.er^ naiy in ConnectitTrT. antl -ji LaTe Teazs 

 whereTer tliere are bn^y s-s-sjnp-s and 2 f<^w birds b3*r= re-riLlariy passt.i the 

 open marshes of snSxoient •rXT'^at, -ani "winter in 3 siiTiT^X'c'i 5 Tamp at Cam- 

 often in smaller colonies a oo-Tir pools or brid^, Masiic-has.^"s. — W. B. 



