Encyclopædia americana. A popular dictionary of arts, sciences, literature, history, politics and biography, a new ed.; including a copious collection of original articles in American biography; on the basis of the 7th ed. of the German Conversations-lexicon. Ed. by Francis Lieber, assisted by E. Wigglesworth ...

BLACKBIRD-BLACKFISH. 121
strongly resembles, in all respects, the hours, the careful husbandman beholds
mischievous plunderer of our cornfields. his fair prospect of all ample harvest alThe male is 16 inches long, having a most most destroyed, and that, too, with but
glossy black plumage; the tail is cunei- little chance of his being able to remedy
form, and, when the wings are folded, they the evil. It is true that the guns are
extend nearly five inches beyond it. The commonly put in requisition, and a few
female is of a light brown color, whitish volleys, fired among these insolent-thieves,
beneath, and twelve and a half inches destroy. a small part of their numbers.
long. This species is found in the South- But they only change their place to other
erm States, principally along the sea-coast: parts of the field, and return ere long to
it also inhabits Mexico, and is said to be renew the assault with increased activity.
common in the West Indies.-The rusty It is not until the month of November
grakle, or blackbird, is nine inches long. that they begin to collect their forces,
Its migrations extend from the south, now renovated and augmented by their
where it winters, to as far north as within young, to seek the genial climate of the
the arctic circle, where it breeds. Accord- south for the winter. When we consider
ing to Pennant, they arrive in the vicinity that a very ample quantity of corn is proof Hudson's bay about the beginning of duced, notwithstanding the depredations
Jule, when the ground is sufficiently of these and other birds, and recollect the
thawed to allow them access to the grubs vast number of insects they consume beand worms, upon which they chiefly feed. fore their attacks upon the corn begin,
They sing finely until they have ceased we shall be inclined to agree with our
laying, and when the young are fledged, great ornithologist, Wilson, that the serthey again resume their song. Their vice they render the cultivator by devournests are formned of moss and grass, and ing the insects is quite an adequate complaced in trees about eight feet from the pensation for the tax they levy upon the
ground. They pass through the Middle grain. If we extend our observation a
States, on their northern tour, early in little further, and remark that these birds
April: in September, they collect in vast destroy the insects before they have atflocks, to seek their winter-quarters in the tained their perfect or breeding state, and
south.-The purple grakle, lesser or com- that a single fly or bug is capable of lay-,mon crow-blackbird, ( Q. versicolor, Viel.), is ing thousands of eggs, the magnitude of
the most notorious ofthese sable plunder- the benefit they confer upon mankind
ers. On their first arrival in the Middle may be more accurately appreciated.
States from the south, which is in the Nevertheless, it is perfectly right, that,
latter part of March, they come in scatter- during their ravages upon the grain-field,
ed flocks, and are most frequent in they should be driven off and destroyed.
swamps, meadows, and recently plough- The extermination of the species is as
ed ground. At this season, they consume impossible as the wish to effect it would
an immense number of destructive in- be ridiculous. If such an event could be
sects, and, if they continued to feed on brought about, we should speedily be
such food, they would be among the convinced, that the supreme Author of
farmer's chief benefactors. Towards the nature had devised all things in wisdom.
beginning or middle of April, they begin by discovering, that, without the aid of
to build upon the tall pines or cedars these seemingly useless creatures, the
nearest to the fields whence they obtain earth would be despoiled of its vegetatheir food. As many as 10 or 15 nests tion, and the habitations of man become
have been found on the same tree. The loathsome from the multiplication of vonests are about five inches in diameter, racious and disgusting worms.
composed, externally, of long stalks and BLACKFISH; a species of labrus, caught
knotty grass-roots, and are lined with on various parts of the American coast,
horse-hair, &c. The eggs are of a bluish- especially in the vicinity of Long Island,
olive hue, with large spots, and irregular whence large supplies are obtained for the
streaks of dark brown. The period when New York market. For the following parthe green blade of the young Indian corn ticulars concerning this valuable article of
begins to sprout above the surface of the food, we are indebted to doctor Mitchell's
ground is that in which the common excellent paper on the fishes of New York,
crow-blackbird commences its ravages. published in the Transactions of the LitVast flocks, chattering and screaming, as erary and Philosophical Society. The
if anticipating the pleasures of the feast, specific name given by the learned de-.
descend upon the soil, and pluck the scriber is L. tantog, in which he has pre..
swelling grain from its recess. In. a few served the designation used by the MohevOL. II. 11