Agelaeus phoeniceus. 
1 
1875. 
1 Agelaeus phoeniceus. 
Middlesex County, Mass. 
(Apr.2) 
Scattered about every^vrhere over the Fresh Pond 
narshes and in full song. 
May 27. 
*■ 
Two nests four eggs each. One frosh the other 
slightly incubated. One of the nests was almost pend- 
dant in a tall bush over the waefier water. The other 
between some slender upright stalks was barely a foot 
above the ground and well—concealed by a canopy of dry 
grasses. 
June 1. 
Examined nine nests in the Fresh pond swamps; seven 
were in the tops of tussocks, two suspendeddin bushes, 
eight had four eggs each, one three. ’ 
Aug. 4. 
Numerous flocks going to roost in the Maple Swamp 
near Block Island this evening. (See Gen.Obs. under Tur- 
dus migratorius1 
Sept, 9, 
In the Swarms of Blackbirds passing to the roost 
at Block Island this evening I saw none of this species. 
“ 13. 
In the evening flight of Blackbirds at Block Island, 
I saw none of this species to-night and am very sure that 
all have left this locality. 
Dee, 16, 
Pound a last-year’s nest suspended from the hroizon- 
tal branch of an oak, about six feet above the ditch. 
1876. 
Mar. 7. 
Several large flocks passed overhead in Watertown, 
uttering their call-notes and circling once or tv/ice, ' 
but continuing on northward. One flock contained about 
fifty individuals. All soon were males. 
“ 22. 
A flock of at least two hundred alighted in the 
branches of a huge oak, covering it as with a sable pall 
and uttering their varied notes in their usual gigling 
chorus. ® 
" 23. 
Several Red-wings scattered about the flooded mea- 
dov7s in the Fresh Pond marshes perched on isolated bush¬ 
es, uttering their rich guttural notes. 
“ 29. 
Njjmbors in a flock of Crow Blackbirds in our gar¬ 
den spending most of their time on the ground but occa¬ 
sionally flying to the tree-tops and singing in chorus. 
1880. 
Mar, 4. 
Driving by the Fresh Pond sv^amps this afternoon I 
found numbers of these birds perched on the trees over 
the water while their familiar kong-quer-ree came t.o 
ear from every side. 
1881. 
SQpt.21. 
Two flying over Rock Meadow. 
