326 BIRDS OF ILLINOIS. 



The following comparative diagnoses, which include also both 

 forms of the eastern species, show, briefly, the differential character 

 of (J. ceneus and Q. quiscula. It should be especially noted that the 

 color of the head and neck is of no importance whatever as a diagnos- 

 tic character, but that the coloration of the back and lower parts is 

 the decisive test. 



1. Q. seneus. Entire body, above and below, uniform and unvarying brassy olive, or 

 olivaceous bronze. Wings gradually shading into bronzy reddish purple, the 

 primaries and tail more purplish violet. Head, neck, and jugulum rich metallic 

 brassy green, steel-blue, violet, or purple, always very abruptly and sharply de- 

 fined against the totally different color of the back and breast. 



2. Q. quiscula. Plumage of the body varying from dark dull metallic slate-green to 

 violet or purple, never perfectly uniform, and usually broken by transverse bars 

 of different metallic tints golden green, steel-blue, bronze, or purple, according 

 to the individual. Tail and wings bluish or greenish. 



a. Quiscula. Head, neck and jugulum varying from brassy green to steel-blue, 

 violet, or purplish bronze, the color (whatever it may be) rarely abruptly de- 

 fined posteriorly. Body usually with purplish predominating. Male. Wing 

 5.50-5.90; tail 5.20-G.20; bill, from nostril, .88-1.00. Hab. Atlantic coast, from 

 northern Florida to Massachusetts. 



b. aglcnts. Head, neck, and jugulum usually purplish violet (more bluish an- 

 teriorly), and usually sharply defined posteriorly. Body usually dark metallic 

 bronze-green. 



Mal^. Wing 5. 10-5.50; tail 5.05-5.60; bill, from nostril, .90-1.05. Hab. Southern 

 Florida. 



Quisealus quiscula aeneus Ridgw.* 



BRONZED GRACKLE. 

 Popular synonym. Western Crow Blackbird. 



Quiscalus rersicolor AUD. B. Am. iv, 1842, 58, pi. 221 (description and account of habits 

 refers in part to Q. quiscula). BATED, B. N. Am. 1858.555 (part; western specimens). 

 Quiscalus ceneus RIDGW. Proc. Phil. Ac. Sci. 1860, 134. 

 Quiscalus purpureus var. ceneus B. B. & R. Hist. N. Am. B. ii, 1874, 218. 

 Quiscalus purpureus (cneus RDDGW. Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, No. 2785. COUES, 2d Check 

 List, 1882, No. 337. 



HAS. Interior of North America, from Mississippi Valley to the Rocky Mountains, 

 'and north to the Saskatchewan, Hudson's Bay Territory, and Labrador, thence south to 

 Massachusetts, northern Now York, etc. ; merely casual or occasional east of the Alle- 

 ghenics south of New York, Ix'ing replaced along the Atlantic seaboard by Q. quiscula. 



SUBSP. CHAE. Entire body, above and below, uniform and unvarying brassy olive, 

 or olive-bronze. Wings gradually shading into bronze-purple, the primaries and tail 

 more violet-purple. Head, n<>ck, and jugulum metallic brassy green, steel-blue, violet 

 or purple (according to the individual), always very abruptly defined against the very 

 different color of the ba.ck and breast. 



Adult male. Total length (fresh), 13.00; extent. 17.75; wing (skins), 5.55-5.75; tail, 5.50- 

 6.20; bill, from nostril, .88-.90. Bill and feet deep black; iris yellowish white. 



Adult female. Total length (fresh), 11.25-11.50; extent, 16.00-16.50; wing (in skins), 5.00- 

 5.05; tail, 4.80-4.90; bill, from nostril, .70-.75. Plumage much duller than in the male, the 

 metallic colors less brilliant. 



Young. Uniform grayish dusky, without metallic tints. Iris pale brown. 



* "A. 0. U. Check List;" Quiscalus ceneus, according to the author's views. 



