54 FOOD OF BOBOLINK, BLACKBIRDS, AND GRACKLES. 
home. It does not occur south of the Gulf States, but stragglers 
have been found during the cold months as far north as Tlinois and 
even Minnesota. 
At the first approach of spring the crow blackbirds begin to move 
northward, closely following the retreat of winter. During the sum- 
mer months they cover the whole of the United States east of the 
Rocky Mountains, except New England, though they are most plenti- 
fully distributed over the great grain-raising States of the Northwest. 
In New England crow blackbirds are of local occurrence. They are 
tolerably abundant in Connecticut, but in the more northern States 
breed only in certain favored localities, and are entirely absent from 
large areas. 
In the Northern United States the southward movement begins 
about the end of September, although the habit of collecting in flocks 
immediately after the breeding season causes the birds to disappear 
from many localities during the month of August. Their stay in the 
northern part of the country is thus limited to the six warmest months 
of the year; hence whatever they do that is either beneficial or inju- 
rious must be accomplished during that time. In the South, on the 
contrary, they are found throughout the year, and in largely increased 
numbers during the winter. Fortunately, however, the time of their 
greatest abundance is not the season of growing crops, so that the 
damage done is principally confined to the pilfering of grain left 
standing in the shock. It is probable, however, that at this season 
they feed largely on weed seeds, mast, and waste grain scattered in 
the field. 
Crow blackbirds are gregarious, usually breeding in colonies and 
migrating in flocks. In fall, young and old collect in large assem- 
blages, which in the Mississippi Valley often grow to enormous size. 
The redwing (alyclatus phen/ceus), Brewer's blackbird (Scolecophagus 
cyanucephalus), and the rusty blackbird GS. carol/nus) often associate 
withthem. Moving southward, immense flocks cross the Red River Val- 
ley between Texas and Indian Territory. In September, 1886, Mr. 
George H. Ragsdale reported at Gainesville, on the Texas side of the 
river, ‘flocks of such size that the roar of their wings could be heard 
for a quarter of aiile,” and that, according to a statement published 
in a local paper, one person had on hand 8,000 blackbirds which had 
been netted for the use of gun clubs. Mr. Ragsdale stated that at the 
same time the grass worm was destroying the crab-grass and purslane, 
and attributed the unusually large flocks of blackbirds to the fact 
that the early fall migrants, finding so many worms, had halted until 
the bulk of the birds drifted southward. About the first of October 
the worms and birds disappeared simultancously. 
Jrow blackbirds are well known to the farmer as foragers about 
the barnyard and pigpen. When they arrive in spring, after their long 
journey from the South, they are apt to depend on the corncrib for 
