Birds. 6i 



156. Euphagus carolinus. 



RUSTY BLACKBIRD. 



A common summer resident in the West Canada Creek 

 Valley. Breeds. Two nests taken May 7 and 20, 1886, four 

 miles north cf Wilmurt, Herkimer County. They were placed 

 five feet from the ground in spruce saplings in open marsh, 

 beside a pond, in heavy timber. Composed of hemlock twigs 

 and grass and lined with fine grasses (some of which were 

 green). Eggs were four, pale green, faintly marked as com- 

 pared with others of the same family, with different shades of 

 purplish brown, but not streaked.' They measured 1.03 x .72, 

 1. 03 X. 74, 1. 05 X. 72, 1. 06 X. 74. Several pairs of these birds 

 breed on the islands in Pine Lake every year and nests have 

 been taken twice. One, in 1903, was a beautiful structure, and, 

 like those mentioned above, was composed of small evergreen 

 twigs, apparently broken off by the birds, and lined with fresh 

 green, a sort of fine water grass which grows in the lake and 

 remains green all winter. The eggs were four, light green, 

 thickly spotted with light purple brown; shells very thin. 

 Measurements much less than those given above, .84 x .60, 

 .85 X .63, .85 X .63, .92 X .63. Another nest taken on one of 

 these same islands in 1909 had a mud foundation. Possibly 

 the birds had made over an old Robin's nest, although it did 

 not have the appearance, being a much neater work than the 

 Robins usually construct. 



157. Quiscalus quiscula aeneus. 



BRONZED GRACKLE. 



An abundant summer resident. Breeds. Arrives March 12 

 to April 4. 



158. Hesperiphona vespertina vespertina. 



EVENING GROSBEAK. 



The unusual migration of this western species to the east 

 during the winter of 1890 brought us a record, as 

 it did so many other localities. On February 9, 



