172 
Missouri westward. Dr. Agersborg recorded it as acommon summer 
resident at Vermillion, in southeastern Dakota. It is common in west- 
ern Kansas, passing eastward even to Manhattan, where, in 1883, the 
first was seen May 5. In middle Texas it ranges east a little beyond 
the center of the State. Mr. Lloyd states that it isa tolerably common 
summer resident in-Concho and Tom Green Counties, Tex., “especially 
on the main streams.” He says: “The ordinary date of arrival is April 
15 to 20, the birds becoming common about April 24. The females 
are very retiring. The males are seen with the family as late as Sep- 
tember 30. Breeds on the top branches of the mesquite.” In southern 
Texas it ranges farther east. It is an abundant summer resident at 
Laredo (Butcher). In the valley of the Lower Rio Grande it is a com- 
mon summer resident (Merrill). In the spring of 1884 it was seen at 
Mason, Tex., April 7, and San Angelo April 29, when the first male 
was noted; the first female came May 1, and by May 3 the species was 
common. This Oriole has been found at Gainesville, Tex., where, in 
1876, the first appeared April 29. It winters in Mexico and breeds 
throughout all its United States range north to British America. At 
San Angelo it was found breeding from May 15 to June 1, with six 
eggs in a clutch. 
In the fall of 1884 the last Bullock’s Oriole was seen at San Angelo, 
Tex., August 31. The preceding year it had been noted much later, 
the last female being seen September 14 and the last male October 14. 
In the spring of 1885 the first was seen at San Antonio, Tex., Apri] 
11, and at Mason, Tex., April 9. They were common at Mason April 16. 
509. Scolecophagus carolinus (Miill.). [273.] Rusty Blackbird. 
A common migrant through the Mississippi Valley as far west as the 
Plains, where it is principally replaced by Brewer’s Blackbird ; breeds 
from Manitoba northward; dispersed in winter over the Southern 
States from southern Illinois and Kansas southward. In the winter of 
188283 its range extended north to Saint Louis. Dr. Coues, in his 
“ Birds of the Northwest,” gives some interesting facts concerning the 
migrations of these two species. He says: “During the breeding sea- 
son their habitats are entirely separate, but they overlap during the 
fall migration, if not also in winter. In the east, the Rusty Grackle 
breeds from northern New England (and perhaps farther south in mount- 
ains) northward, throughout a great part of the British possessions, 
from Labrador entirely across to Alaska. Now to take an intermediate 
point, say Fort Pembina, on the Red River, the extreme northeast 
corner of Dakota. Here, in the spring and summer, the Rusty Grackle 
is not known, while Brewer’s Blackbird occurs in great abundance, 
breeding. In the fall, however, the Rusty Grackle enters Dakota from 
the north on its migration and mixes with the other species” (pp. 198-199). 
Now if, as Dr. Coues states, the Rusty Crackle does not occur in north. 
eastern Dakota in spring, it would be interesting to know by what 
course the representatives of this species—which according to Prof. 
