BIRDS OF CLAY AND O’BRIEN COUNTIES 
269 
contain numbers of these birds while another a few miles away, 
apparently equally favorable, would not contain one. 
80. *Molothrus ater ater. Cowbircl. An abundant breeding 
species. I rarely found a nest of any of the smaller birds which 
did not contain at least one Cpwbird egg. 
81. # A anthocephalus xanthoeepltalus. Yellow-lieadecl Black- 
bird. The yellow-heads were abundant in the swampy parts of 
the country. In the larger wild rice swamps hundreds of nests 
could be found. 
82. *Agelaius phoeniceus phoeniceus. Red-winged Blackbird. 
These birds, by far the most abundant breeding species, nested 
not only in the cattails and flags but in the willows along water 
courses and on bogs in bunches of heavy grass. 
83. *8turnella neglecta. "Western Meadowlark. Nested com- 
monly. 
84. Icterus spurius. Orchard Oriole. An uncommon summer 
resident, found only in certain groves and absent over the re- 
mainder of the country. One pair nested for two years (1908- 
09) in a small orchard near Webb. 
85. # Icterus galbula. Baltimore Oriole. Common breeding 
species. 
86. Euphagus carolinus. Rusty Blackbird. The rusty was 
found in considerable numbers in the great fall flocks of black- 
birds which roamed over the country. 
87. *Quiscalus quiscula aeneus. Bronzed Grackle, This 
species seemed to be particularly fond of artificial groves and 
appeared to nest exclusively in them. One of the most inter- 
esting sights of the region was the immense blackbird flocks 
which formed in the fall. Grackles, red-wings, yellow-heads, 
rusty blackbirds, and cowbirds banded together in almost in- 
credible numbers. 
88. *Astragalinus tristis tristis • Goldfinch. Common breeder. 
89. Plectropkenax nivalis nivalis. Snow Bunting. The Snow 
Bunting was an irregular winter visitor. It was present in small 
numbers near Webb in the winter of 1907-08. I failed to see 
it in other years although it was occasionally reported. 
90. Calcarius lapponicus lapponicus. Lapland Longspun. An 
abundant winter visitor, generally appearing in flocks with 
prairie horned larks. 
