red-winged blackbird. 
lOI 
the Starling, familiar with those who feed him, and repaying 
the attention he receives, by singing his monotonous ditty 
pretty freely, consisting, as we have already remarked, of vari- 
ous odd, grating, shrill, guttural, and sometimes warbling tones, 
which become at length somewhat agreeable to the ear; and 
instances are said to have occurred of their acquiring the power 
of articulating several words pretty distinctly. 
The flesh of this bird is but little esteemed except when 
young, being dark and tough like that of the Starling; yet in 
some of the markets of the United States they are at times 
exposed for sale. 
The Red-wing is a common summer visitor to the Eastern States 
and Canada, breeding as far north as latitude 50®. In the West it 
ranges through the Saskatchewan valley to Great Slave Lake. It 
winters south to Mexico ; but a few individuals have been known to 
brave a New England winter. During the winter of 1889-90, a 
male was seen about the Fresh Pond marshes by several members 
of the Nuttall Club of Cambridge. 
Note. The Bahaman Red-wing (A. phamcus bryanti), a 
smaller, darker race, is found on the Bahama Islands and in south- 
ern Florida. 
