SPRING ARRIVAL OF THE BIRDS. 15 
warble, he greets a companion sure to be near. The 
grackles choose an elevated position from which to sing, 
but,in feeding they are less ambitious, and walk about 
leisurely on the ground searching for grubs and worms 
and other earth insects. In the fields they often follow, 
at a safe distance, the plow, eagerly devouring the 
fat, wriggling morsels brought to light by the upturned 
furrow. They are, to quite an extent, city birds, haunt- 
ing lawns where are evergreens, and often nesting in 
these if the trees are large and dense. Forest Lawn is 
one of their favorite resorts, and hundreds of them 
remain here during the season. Every summer they 
nest in the evergreens of the old part of the cemetery, 
and a few pairs in the clumps of pines near the clear 
lake. When one of these nests is disturbed a dozen 
birds will frequently become noisy and threatening, 
making common cause against the intruder. They may 
well be. watchful and unite forces, as they are not fav- 
orites of the smaller birds, which they often rob of eggs 
and young. One is sorry to even speak of any birds in 
other than commendatory terms, and if feasting on the 
delicious green corn of the farmers at the beginning of 
the fall migrations was their only fault, far would it be 
from me to expose their short-coming; but robbing 
nests and killing innocent birds are grievous faults, and 
the perpetrators, be they men, boys or birds, ought not 
to be shielded from proper punishment. The grackles 
are very handsome, with trim figures and rich suits of 
black and purple, emerald ‘and bronze. These colors 
are changeable, in different lights, often showing an 
