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in the laboratory verified this.

Dr. W. W. Duson and H. W. Carver of the Southern Rice Growers' Association in El Camp^[[o]] made little complaint against blackbirds in their fields this past year. Dr. Duson stated that this season Red-winged Blackbirds had fed in an area of four or five acres of rice about a low willow bordered slough while the rice was in the milk stage, but that he had had no other experience with similar damage from these birds.

F. F. Wilson at El Camp^[[o]], a prominent rice-grower, estimated his loss from blackbirds during the past season at about $3,000. Injury in his fields had been much more severe this year than usual. The damage was done by Red-wings that had gathered in his fields in great flocks, at the time that the grain was in the milk. He considered the Great-tailed Grackle as less injurious. Some grain was also destroyed this year when the rice was still in the shock.

R. H. Hancock, manager of the rice mill at El Camp^[[o]] corroborated these statements and said that this season he had lost about five acres of rice in one field near town belonging to him. We visited this field and I found the rice in the area in question still uncut though cattle had been turned in here and had trampled it down. This rice grew in a low spot in the field and I considered that part of it had been killed out by stagnant standing water or for some other reason. About half however had produced rice and the frayed out heads and scattered rice hulls remaining were evidence that it had been damaged by birds. This productive area extended as a band around the barren central portion. The latter was overgrown with tall weeds that furnished convenient perches to the birds after feeding.

Mr. Vick also complained of damage by blackbirds to rice in the