REQ-WINGED S'PARLING. 285 
bird, on an average, to devour filty of these larve in ‘a day, (a very 
moderate allowarnice,) a single pair, in four months, the usual time such 
food is sought after, will consume upwards of twelve thousand. It is 
believed that not less than a million pair of these birds, are distributed 
over the whole extent of the United States in summer, whose food, 
being nearly the same, would swell the amount of vermin destroyed to 
twelve thousand millions. But the number of young birds may be 
fairly estimated at double that of their parents; and, as these are 
constantly fed on larvee for at least three weeks, making only the same 
allowance for them as for the old ones, their share would amount to 
four thousand two hundred millions; making a grand total of sixteen 
thousand two hundred millions of noxious insects destroyed in, the 
space of four months by this single species! The combined ravages 
of such a hideous host of vermin would be sufficient to spread famine 
and desolation over a wide extent of the richest and best-cultivated 
country on earth. All this, it may be said,is mere supposition. It is, 
however, supposition founded on known and acknowledged facts. 1 
have ‘never dissected any of these birds in spring without receiving 
the most striking and satisfactory proofs of those facts; and though, in 
a matter of this kind, it is impossible to ascertain precisely the amount 
of the benefits derived by agriculture from this, and many other species 
of our birds, yet, in the present.case, I cannot resist the belief, that the 
services of this species, in spring, are far more important and beneficial 
than the value of all that portion of corn which a careful and active 
farmer permits himself to lose by it. 
The great range of country frequented by this bird extends from 
Mexico, on the south, to Labrador. Our late enterprising travellers 
across the continent to the Pacific Ocean, observed it numerous in 
several of the valleys at a great distance up the Missouri. When 
taken alive, or reared from the nest, it soon becomes familiar, sings 
frequently, bristling out its feathers, something in the manner of the 
Cow Bunting. These notes, though not remarkably various, are very 
peculiar. The most common one resembles the syllables conk-quer- 
rée ;- others, the shrill sounds produced by filing a saw; some are 
more guttural ; and others remarkably clear. The usual note of both 
male and female is a single chuck. Instances have been produced 
where they have been taught to articulate several words distinctly ; 
and, contrary to what is observed of many’ birds, the male loses little 
_of the brilliancy of his plumage by confinement. 
A very remarkable trait of this bird is, the great difference of size 
between the male and female; the former being nearly two inches 
longer than the latter, and of proportionate magnitude. They are 
known by various names in the different states of the Union; such as 
the Swamp Blackbird, Marsh Blackbird, Red-winged Blackbird, Corn - 
or Maize Thief, Starling, &c. Many of them have been carried from 
this to different parts of Europe; and Edwards relates, that one of 
them, which had, no doubt, escaped from a cage, was shot in the 
neighborhood of London; and, on being opened, its stomach was 
found to be filled with grub-worms, caterpillars, and beetles; which 
Buffon seems to wonder at, as, “in their own country,” he observes, 
“they feed exclusively on grain and maize.” ‘ 
Hitherto this species has been generally classed by naturalists with 
ah 
