1909 June 8 (no2) Several pairs of The Bronzed Grackle which are nesting on my They in Balsoms Lake Umbagog. Breeding colony of Bronzed Grackled Island. are interesting birds, to watch, They are evidently keen- witted and observingand full of resources in the matter of obtain- ing food. When we first came here on June 4th they foraged chief- were ly in the farming landson Upton Hill. During the past two or three days they have given most of their attention to the lake shores which the falling water is fast laying bare in many places. Nearly all Feeding on Refuse food from our house boat. the members of the colony spent the greater part of to-day on the floating logs and drift wood in Stony Brook Cove directly to the lea- ward of our house boat. I was puzzled at first, to know what they could be getting there until Gilbert suggested that they might be attracted by various kinds of refuse food which he had thrown overboard early in the morning. On watching them closely through Picking up floating pieces of bread. my glass I found that this was the case. I saw them inspect and peck at some orange peel and seize and devour pieces of bread. For a time they confined their attention to food that had reached the shore but while we were at dinner and during much of the afternoon they were hovering over the water not far from the boat and inter- cepting whatever acceptable morsels we sent that way. I broke several crackers into small fragments and cast them on the water. When the 39