BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 169 



or yellowish, but mostly pink, in the spring and summer at least. The female differs 

 greatly in appearance ; the prevailing color above is brownish-black, all the feathers 

 margined with reddish-brown ; some of those on the back with brownish-yellow, 

 which, on tho medium and greater wing coverts, forms two bands; the under parts 

 are dull-whitish, each leather broadly streaked centrally with dark-brown ; the chin 

 and throat yellowish, and but little streaked; there is a distinct whitish supercili- 

 ary streak alongside the head, tinged anteriorly with brownish-yellow, and another 

 less distinct in the medium line of the crown. The young male, at first very similar 

 to the female, may soon be recognized by the black feathers appearing singly or in 

 patches ; immature males exhibit every possible condition of coloration between that 

 of the old male and of the female. 



Male measures about 9^ inches in length and 15.25 inches in extent. 



Hab. North America in general, from Great Slave Lake south to Costa Rica, 



The Swamp or Red winged Blackbird, as this well-known species is 

 usually designated, is a common summer resident in Pennsylvania. 

 Arrives in small flocks about March 20 ; males come a few days in 

 advance of females ; both sexes in company leave during the latter 

 part of September. These birds, mainly terrestrial when feeding fre- 

 quent principally meadows, fields and swamps. Nests, built early in 

 May and also in July (two broods being sometimes raised in this 

 locality), are placed in tussocks of grass or low bushes preferably along 

 the borders of streams or ponds. Nest, bulky, composed chiefly of 

 coarse grasses, lined with finer grass ; those built on bushes arc mostly 

 very compact, others are generally loose and carelessly constructed. 

 The eggs, four to six, a little less than an inch long, and not quite 

 three-fourths of an inch broad, are light bluish, spotted, blotched and 

 lined with black and purplish brown. Sometimes several females, 

 with only one male will be found breeding in a swamp or field, at 

 other times the male appears to devote his exclusive attention to one 

 female. A dozen or more nests may frequently be seen in close prox- 

 imity to each other, and their owners always appear on friendly terms ; 

 when these nesting- places are approached the Red-wings hover over 

 your head and utter sharp piteous cries. 



Although Swamp Blackbirds sometimes visit corn-fields during the 

 planting season, and also again when the corn is in the milky state, 

 the amount of grain which they take or injure is so small, that the 

 farmer is seldom heard to utter a complaint against this species, which 

 in the agricultural districts of Pennsylvania, receives, as it justly 

 merits, universal protection. 



The following twenty odd records will suffice to show the general 

 nature of the food during the months of March, April and May : 



