October 25, 1901 - Friday . 
This morning after breakfast I was standing 
°y Hall's barn in Baraboo when a flock of 
about 65 rusty blackbirds flew over. They just 
hissed the tops of the trees. The flight was 
steady and at times undulating. They sang and 
called in a grand medley. The song was bubbling 
flutelike but was neither clear nor well 
sustained. Its rollickingeffeet was rather 
jarred by the harsh notes mingled with it. The 
ain body flew in a loose formation and stragglers 
allowed a short distance behind. The shape of 
e flock continually changed and undulated as 
hough with waves. 
About ten o'clock Jim Seeley and I went down 
jZ ™e plum orchard. A calf had been butchered 
*e and about 25 crows had gathered to feed on 
e refuse. They had a sentinal posted in a 
tr ! e v/ilich was als0 occupied by a red-tailed 
when we were about fifteen rods off it 
Is-rra with a few low caws . Then Jim 
thp m ed ont ° a ience post to get a better view and 
ey all flew. A number of them lit over in 
yon's woods. 
a “ e sa ^ hown by the river and every little while 
IW? Ut would fl y 0ut * circle over us and go back. 
Anot-i^ S00n three Tib in a tree across the river. 
tn 0v . ier scout came over and circled back without 
Cah” 6 ltS wjnes * The leader farther over called 
•j^-^ah cah cah and two flew over to him. One of 
lem ^ e i*b called and the leader answered and the 
gaining two left. He was evidently calling them 
a v I? er \ we first saw the red-tail we thought was 
hntn^i r&e Cr ° V/ and did not discov er our mistake 
c row ^ flew . when thecrows did. A number of 
they 3 -) C ^ &S ® d it; and 11 mounted so high that 
W lt: * It; was the iargest I think 1 ever 
*h the trI!% R female itS large size - It sat 
tree faciqg us with its head drawn down on 
