54 FOOD OF BOBOLINK, BLACKBIRDS, AND GEACKLES. 



home. It does not occur south of the Gulf States, but stragglers 

 have been found during the cold months as far north as Illinois and 

 even Minnesota. 



At the first approach of spring the crow blackbirds begin to move 

 northward, closel}^ 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 

 immediateh' 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 3'ear; 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 largelv increased 

 numbers during the winter. Fortunately, however, the time of their 

 greatest al)undance 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 Avaste grain scattered in 

 the' field. 



CroAV blackbii-ds are gregarious, usually l)re(Hling in colonies and 

 migrating in Hocks. In fall, young and old collect in large assem- 

 blages, Avhich in the Mississippi Valley often grow to enormous size. 

 The redwing {Agrlalufi j^htxiilcea^'i)^ Brewer's blackbird {Scolecojjhagu.^ 

 cyanocejyjKilKx)^ and the rusty blackbird {S. carol iuf/.s) often associate 

 with them. Moving southward, immense flocks cross the Red River Val - 

 ley between Texas and Indian Territory. In September, 1880, Mr. 

 George II. Ragsdale reported at Gainesville, on the Texas side of the 

 river, "flocks of such size that the roar of their wings could lie heard 

 for a quarter of a mile," and that, according to a statement published 

 in a local paper, one person had on hand 8,000 blackl)irds 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 simultaneously. 



Crow blac-kbirds are well known to the farmer as foragers about 

 the ])arnyard and pigpen. When they arrive in spring, ixUvr their h)ng 

 journey from th(> South, they are apt to depend on the corncril) for 



