. u - 
colder vsather threetenlng flooics of l^allerds wore trarelllng Uouth nearly ■ 
all day. Flocka of lUillarde were obeerred is many places feeding in rioe 
stubble and in fields irtiare rioe was still in the shooics. The greater part 
of the daoiage to the rioe crops had been done before December 10 and the blrde*' 
seen seemed to be feeding largely on waste grain sawe in a few localities 
where they were still attaoiclng shocked rice. Itany of the birds were be- 
i 
ing killed by hunters. 
DAUAOE BY BLA.CEBIBDB. 
Bice growers in the region under dieoussion almost universally made 
u 
ooiqplaint of damage b/ blackbirds in their fields. The species of ^teridae 
implicated as nearly as could be made out were the Bed-winged Blackbird. 
Oowbird, Bronzed Qraokle and Busty Blackbird. Con^laint against those 
birds began in spring at the time of seeding. Bice is planted mainly by 
seeders that distribute the grain while drags follow to cover it up. In 
♦ ^ 
some oases where it was necessary for some reason to leave part of the 
grain imoovered for a few honrs, bladkbirds esme in great flooks and cleaned 
up almost the entire t^uantlty of seed that had been planted. It was stat- 
ed also that Bedwings sometimes inflicted serious damage by pulling and 
eating the newly sprouted rioe. deeding took place from the end of ilaroh 
or the first of April on into the first week in iJay. Migrant blackbirds 
• 
of all the species mentioned above ia great flookTVlhyougb this region un- 
^ ^ - ■ 
til April 10 or 16. After this -time any damage must be attributed iu large 
part to the Bedwings with perhaps some aid from Bronzed Graoklos as these’ 
two species in the group under consideration are the most oomoon as breed- 
ing birds. Cowbirds also occur during tne nesting season in fair numbers 
