168 PURPLE GRACKLE. 



blue eggs, so singularly scrawled with black. He perches 

 on the topmost branch of a neighboring tree, and doubt- 

 less supposes he is guarding his home below, when in 

 truth be is advertising bis treasure to every passer-by. 



The Redwing's liquid houg-quer-reti is pleasantly 

 suggestive of marshy places, but it is his early spring 

 music for which we should chiefly value him. The first 

 Kobins or Bluebirds are somewhat unrelialjle signs of 

 spring. They are such hardy birds that it requires very 

 little encouragement from a February sun to send a few 

 skirmishers northward. We can not be sure whether 

 they represent the advance guard or are individuals who 

 have had the courage to winter with us. But when early 

 in March the Redwings come, then we know that the tide 

 of the year has turned. With perennial faith in the sea- 

 son they come in fl(jcks of hundreds, singing their spring- 

 time chorus with a spirit that March ^vinds can not sub- 

 due. 



About the time the Redwings come, late in February 

 or early in March, we may expect the Purple Grackles 



Purple Grackle, ^r Crow Blackl)irds. ^ They migrate in 

 Quisc'iiisqinscnia. large flocks, and their chorus singing 



Plate xxxvii. jg q^^ite as inspiring as the sjjringtime 

 concerts of the Redmng. Tliere are two kinds of Crow 

 Blackbirds, known as the Purple Cirackle and the Bronzed 

 Grackle. The former has iridescent bars on the back 

 and in the ISTortliern States is found only east of the 

 AUeghanies and south of Massachusetts ; the latter lias 

 the l)ack shining, brassy, bronze, without iridescence, and 

 in the nesting season inhabits the country west of the 

 AUeghanies and north of Connecticut. The females of 

 both species are smaller and duller tlian the males. 



Crackles are among the few of our land birds who 

 live in flocks all the year. They pass the winter and mi- 

 grate in larger companies, but when nesting are in smaller 



