The farmers of Mexico and the Southern States of America whose fields
are frequented by the anis, are much indebted to that handsome and
somewhat conspicuous bird. It is of a black hue glossed with green,
equalling a pigeon in size--its long tail adding to its apparent length.
Its chief food consists of grasshoppers, locusts, and small lizards,
but it rids cows of the ticks and other parasitic insects which fasten
on their backs, where they cannot be rubbed off. So conscious are the
cattle of the service thus rendered them, that they will lie down to
allow the blackbird to perform the operation at its ease. It is even
asserted that, should the cow neglect to place herself in a suitable
attitude, the blackbird will hop about in front of her nose, and allow
her no peace till she does as required.
Large flocks of these birds appear together, uttering deafening cries.
When fired at, even though many of them are killed, the survivors hover
to a short distance, regardless of the danger in which they are placed.
They build remarkably large nests; sometimes, indeed, several pairs of
birds build one together--much in the same way as do the sociable
weaver-birds of Africa--where they live together on friendly terms.
It resembles another African bird in its habit of picking off ticks from
the backs of oxen, the same duty being performed by the South American
goatsucker.