1892. 
JulyI3. 
July 15 
(NO. 3) 
Agelaeus nhoenlceus . 
Mass . 
Concord .- The wild rice along the river has headed out and Red- 
wings were feeding in it at the mouth of Mill Brook. On reach- 
ing Egg Roclc I saw them in greater numbers stilly flying into and 
from the tall canary grass on the island at the confluence of 
the Sudbury and Assabet. They were evidently going to roost. 
After watching them for several minutes I struck the flat of my 
paddle on the water making a noise which in., the still damp air 
sounded nearly as loud as a gun. Instantly a perfect cloud of 
Blackbirds rose- like a puff of smoke- $md circled over me. There 
must have been fully 200, the majority young uttering the cha- 
cha note as they flew. I am not sure that I saw any old males 
here but there were several in the Mill Brook gathering. 
Concord .- I took tea in my cabin and twilight was deepening when 
I started up river. As I approached the Beaver Dam Rapid I 
heard a number of Red-wings singing together in the tall canary 
grass on the north bank the effect being precisely the same as 
when these Blackbirds first arrive in early spring and greet the 
brown fields with a jingling medley from the top of some isolat- 
ed oak or maple. I heard them singing thus and in the same 
place on the evening of but on that occasion there were only 
adult males and not above a dozen of them in all. To-night when 
I stopped opposite the reeds and struck the water sharply with 
the flat of my paddle at least 500 hundred birds rose with a 
noise as of wind blowing through tree tops. The greater number 
