38.8 LIFE-HISTORIES OF BIRDS 



of scare-crows, and even the shot-gun have no 

 fears for them. Driven from one part of a field, 

 they instantly seek another, and ply themselves 

 with considerable zeal. When the corn is in ear, 

 the destruction still goes on, the birds stripping 

 the husk and extracting the" grains from the cob. 

 Though first exceedingly' shy, yet love of appetite 

 soon triumphs over every other feeling, and a 

 spirit of boldness and utter recklessness succeed. 



During the early part of its stay, this Blackbird 

 is mainly terrestrial in its habits of feeding; but 

 during the breeding-period it becomes slightly 

 arboricole. Its flight is moderately elevated, firm, 

 undulating, and remarkably protracted. 



This species cannot be said to possess a song, 

 strictly speaking. Its ordinary call-note is a simple 

 tchuck. Vexation and anger are represented by 

 tchic-ke-yah, while impatience by te-oo pronounced 

 as a sharp whistle. 



Its food is mainly insects, berries, and seeds, 

 during -the early part of the season; with cater- 

 pillers of divers kinds which it destroys in pro- 

 digious numbers, when with young. We have 

 detected in our stomach-e^caminations, remains of 

 Pangus caliginosus, Harpalus compar, H. pensyl- 

 vanicus, Diccelus dilatatus, Scarites subterraneus, 

 Passalus cornutus, Tenebrio molitor, Carabus ligatus, 

 Cetonia fulgida, Dicerca divaricata, Platynus cupri- 

 pennis, CorymbitesCEthiops, and grubs of Cratony- 

 chus dneretcs, Lachnosterna quercina, L. hiriicula 

 Pelidnota punctata, and Cotalpa lanigera; besides 



