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THE RUSTY GRAKLE, OR RUSTY CROW BLACKBIRD. 
Quiscalus ferrugineus, Lath. 
PLATE CCXXII. — Male, Female, and Young. 
In the winter months the Rusty Grakle is found as far south as Lower 
Louisiana and the Floridas, which it reaches in small flocks, along with the 
Cow Bunting and Red-winged Starling, with which it continues frequently 
to associate until the return of spring. At this season it occurs in all the 
Southern and Western States, as well as in the Middle and Eastern Dis- 
tricts, where some remain during the most severe cold. 
These Grakles are fond of the company of cattle, and are seen with them 
in the pastures or in the farm-yards, searching for food among their drop- 
pings, and picking up a few grains of the refuse corn. They are less shy 
than the other species, possibly because less acquainted with man, as they 
retire to the north for the purpose of breeding. In the winter they fre- 
quently resort to moist places, such as are met with round the ponds and 
low swampy meadows, where you sometimes find a single one remaining for 
weeks apart from its companions. They then feed on aquatic insects and 
small snails, for which they search diligently among the rank reeds or 
sedges, which they climb with great agility. Their note is a kind of chuck. 
It is rare to meet with them in full plumage at this time, even the old males 
becoming rather rusty, instead of being of a pure glossy black, as they are 
in spring. 
About the beginning of March, the males are seen moving northwards. 
They cross the greater part of the United States almost in silence and 
unheeded, seldom tarrying anywhere until they reach the State of Maine, 
where some few remain to breed, while the greater number advance farther 
north. I saw some of these birds on the Magdeleine Islands, in Newfound- 
land, as well as in Labrador, where many breed. Their migrations are 
performed by day. 
In their habits they resemble the Red-winged Starling, becoming loqua- 
cious at this season, and having a lively and agreeable song, although less 
powerful in tone than that of the species just mentioned. Equally fond of 
the vicinity of meadows or moist places, they construct their nests in the low 
bushes that occur there. The nest is not so large as that of the Redwing, 
but is composed of much the same materials. In Labrador I found it lined 
Vol. IV. 9 
