Scolecophagus carol inus . 
| Concord, Mass. Roost. 
1898. The Rusty Grackles have established an enormous roost in 
Oct. 3. the pickerel weed (already blackened and withered by the early 
frosts ) and uncut grass about the edges of the shallow little 
lagoon at the head of Beaver Dam Rapid (just below Dakin's 
* 
HillJ. As I was leaving the cabin I saw several flocks fly- 
ing up river and when I reached the lagoon (5 P.M. ) they were 
coming in from every direction but chiefly from that of Con- 
cord. The flocks varied in size from ten or a dozen to forty 
or fifty birds each. As they came over the lagoon they cir- 
cled once or twice and then swooped down on set wings. As I 
was watching them arrive the entire body of birds already set- 
tled were seized with a sudden panic and took flight in two 
detachments each of which must have contained nearly two hun- 
dred birds. The noise made by their wings was like that of a 
gale blowing through pine trees. Many of them returned to 
the reeds after a short flight but upwards of 200 settled a- 
mong the branches of a nearly leafless maple covering it as 
with a black pall and keeping up their jingling melody until 
I had passed beyond hearing. As I kept on up river flock af- 
ter flock of these Blackbirds passed me on their way to the 
roost. In all I certainly saw 500 birds, and I believe that 
the number was really much greater. There must have been at 
least a few Cow birds, if not some Red-wings, also, but I 
