Mississippi as roosting places in large numbers, and wars reported 
as feeding in fields in various piaees that X was unable to reaoh 
because of the condition of the roads* 
In the bayous iiall&rds stood about in lines on logs floating 
in the water sleeping and preening* 1 examined numbers of these logs 
and found that though purt of the excrement on them was composed of 
acorns the bulk consisted of rice hulls* In addition ducks that were 
shot here had in -nany oases been eating rioe* The orop of aeorns on 
which ducks depend for part of their fall and winter food was scanty 
in the wooded areas that 1 visited* 
On Sovember 28 I watched the evening flight of Mallards in the 
swamps near Jacobs* Lake* ?be flight begun an hour before dusk and 
• • . » 
the birds were still flying over When it became too dark to see dis- 
tinctly* In this time I estimated that about 10*000 Mallards hud 
passed* All were driving toward the rioe fields lying to the north* 
Damage by Blackbirds* 
As in 1317* blackbirds were very numerous over the rioe fields 
and if anything were present now in greater numbers than on the previous 
year* Among them X identified the Bronsed Orackle, Gowbird* Busty 
Blackbird end Redwing listed in order of their abundance* the Bronsed 
Grackle probably equalled in number all of the other speeles combined* 
o 
Many very large flocks of them were observed and |n Bovember 27 I ee- 
. • 
tlmated the total individuals of this speoies seen at 20*000* 
„ . i 4 
In the rioe fields the birds alighted in little groups of 6 or 
8 on the shocks and began at once to hull out the rioe* At other times 
flocks spread out along the ground to pick up scattered grain* £aoh 
