566 Annals of the Carnegie Museum. 



with his 'hands full,' so to speak. A shot induced him to drop his 

 burden, which proved to be a Flicker, just at its last gasp. Never 

 before or since have I caught a Crow in the act of killing a bird, and 

 the size of the bird attacked was doubly surprising. ' ' 



136. Dolichonyx oryzivorus. Bobolink. 



In the meadows of the mainland this species is a very common sum- 

 mer resident, the country being particularly adapted to its needs. Mr. 

 A. M. Howes has a set of four eggs collected near Erie in June, 1894. 

 In 1900 the first migrant of the season was seen May 7 (Bacon), 

 which is a fair average date of arrival. The species was observed on 

 the Peninsula but once in the spring — May 30, when a single male 

 was taken along the edge of Big Pond, In the fall migration a 

 flock of about thirty was noted September 8, in some weeds and 

 bushes at the mouth of Niagara Pond. Mr. Bacon says of it at this 

 season : " They begin to flock early in August, and by the end of the 

 month they can be heard overhead every night on their way south- 

 ward. I have seen occasional flocks come into the wild rice in the 

 Peninsula ponds, but I think they do not remain here more than one 

 night. They never approach the Red-winged Blackbird in abundance, 

 straggling flocks of from twenty to forty birds being the rule. 

 September 24, 1897, I saw several hundred in a clover field. October 

 1, 1 90 1, I saw between two and three hundred in a stubble field west 

 of the city. The latter date is. very close to the time of the final de- 

 parture of the species for the south." 



137. Molothrus ater. Cowbird. 



Common on the mainland as a summer resident from March (March 

 22, 1893, Bacon) through September (October 1, 1874, Sennett), 

 after which it is seldom seen. It often associates with the Red-winged 

 Blackbird. On the Peninsula it must evidently be quite uncommon, 

 as it certainly entirely escaped notice there in the season of 1900. 



138. Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus. Yellow-headed Black- 

 bird. 



An accidental visitant from the west. One specimen, a male, was 

 shot by Mr. Bacon August 22, 1896, on the Peninsula near "Big 

 Bend. ' ' It was alone. 



139. Agelaius phceniceus. Red-winged Blackbird. 



A very common summer resident, to all appearances breeding quite 

 plentifully on the marshes of the Peninsula, where it was noted by the 



