- u - 
Daring on hour I estiioated that appro^^imately 2000 birdii had come in hero 
to drink and birds were still watering here three hours later* 
Hear £1 Cempo scattered flocks of Bed-wings* and Brewer's filaokbirde 
were seen in the fields and with them a few great-tailed Orackles were 
feeding. The day spent here was very windy with the thenoometer at 30*^ or 
lower all day so that birds were moving about very little* Because of 
this no estimate of their abundance could be made* 
Blaokblrds of all the species mentioned were much store abundant in 
Hiatagorda County than In the other regions visited. On January 2* great 
flocks of Bedwings were seen in the out-ovor rice stubble* One suoh band 
oontained between 10*000 and 15*000 birds and at least 30*000 were seen dur- 
ing the day* One flook of Cowbirds found below Llarkham oontained about 
5*000 birds* Brewer's Blackbirds were coioDon and Great-tailed Gracklea were 
present in fair numbers* 
D&MdO£ BY BLACKBIBDO BBLOW UOtTJTOlI* T1JU3* 
H* Hoffpauir of the Southern Bioe Growers' assoolation In Houston 
said that the only serious oomplalnts of depredations by bluckbirds had 
oome from near the Old Biver Canal below Jdoore's Bluff* Hero blaokbirds 
done much damage to rioe after it had ripened* One farmer loet so 
muoh of bis crop that hd had decided to give up the culture of rice and 
Others nearby had^many serious complaints* These were the only instanoea 
in which damage frcsa this source had been brou^it to attention 
