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Borth* fb» resident form of the Red-mln^d Blaokbird is the Vera Crus 
Ked-wing l Agslaias Bhoenioeus riohmondi l* This form is represented among 
the birds that 1 oolleoted and in addition specimens of the hastem Bed- 
wing ( Aaelaius p» oreda tortus ) and ThioB-b tiled Ked-wing ( Agelaius p« for- 
tis ) were taken. The two latter forms are migrants that had come in from 
the Horth. 
Large flooks of Blaokbirds were feeding in rioe stubble in the re- 
gion under oonsideration. Many were seen near LakSt £1 Campo and 
Wharton but on the Vhole the birds seemed more abundant in Matagorda County. 
These birds were feeding upon waste rioe and ui>on rarious seeds that were 
found in the rioe stubble. In cleaning up the red rioe and waste rioe 
Blaokbirds omst do a certain amount of good as this aids in preventing 
growths of volunteer rioe (sdiich are always worthless) in the following 
year. As the fields are dry here save when irrigated it is a coonon prao- 
tioe to ttim hogs in on the stubble to feed on the waste grain. Some . 
growers oomplained that the blaokbirds destroyed waste grsin that other- 
» 
wise would have been eaten by hogs and so turned to profit. This ocmiplaint 
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■ o 
however does not seem vali|d as there is enough waste grain for both, and 
hogs are not able to olean up the rioe thoi*oughly where it is widely scat- 
tered. The praotioe of feeding hogs in this manner is not universal and 
destruotion of blaokbirds to prevent their feeding in the stubble isss^Ms 
■■ fnamew seemingly would not be Justified. 
To ascertain in a general way to what extent blackblirds were feed- 
9|B ing on waste rioe 27 blaokbirds of four speoies were oolleoted and their 
stomaohs and crops preserved. On subsequent examination it was found 
that rioe bad been eaten by twenty-four of the individuals taken. In the 
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