410 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 



first four quills are frequently nearly equal; tail long, graduated, lateral 

 feathers about 2} inches shorter than the central ; legs and feet strong. 



Adult male. Black, head and neck with a fine purple lustre, rather abrupt- 

 ly defined on the lower part of the neck behind and succeeded by a fine green 

 lustre which passes into a purple or steel blue on the lower back and upper 

 tail coverts. On the under parts the purple lustre of the head and neck passes 

 more gradually into green on the abdomen; under tail coverts usually purplish 

 blue, frequently plain black. Smaller wing coverts with green lustre ; larger 

 coverts greenish bronzed ; quills frequently plain black, with a greenish or 

 bronzed edging and slight lustre. Tail usually with a slight bluish or greenish 

 lustre, frequently plain black. Bill and feet black. Iris yellow. Total length 

 about 15 inches, wing 7, tail G.V to 1 inches. 



Adult female. Smaller. Upper parts dark brown, lighter on the head and 

 neck behind ; darker and nearly a dull black on the lower part of the back and 

 upper tail coverts ; under parts lighter, dull yellowish brown ; tibia; and under 

 tail coverts darker ; wings and tail dull brownish black : upper parts frequent- 

 ly with a slight greenish lustre. Total length about 12 J- inches, wing 5.^ to 6, 

 tail 5 1 inches. 



Hab. Southern North America. Spec, in Mus. Acad., Philada., and Mus. 

 Smiths. Inst., Washington.' 



12. Quiscalus assimilis, Sclater. 



Quiscalus assimilis, Sclater, Cat. Am. Birds, p. 141, (1862.) 

 " Q. nitenti-niger, capite undique cum pectore purpurascentibus : long, tota 

 in mari 13-0, alas 6-7, caudae 7-0, in faem. 10-0, alae 5-2, eaudie 5-3, poll. Angl. 

 et dec." 



' Obs. Affiniss. Q. majori, sed crassitie minore et colore magis violaceo dis- 

 tinguenda." Sclater, as above. 



Hab. Bogota. Spec, in coll. Dr. Sclater, London. 

 This species I ha\ # e not seen. 



13. Quiscalus macrourus, Swainson. 



Quiscalus macrourus, Swains. Cab. Cy., p. 299, (1833.) 



" Quiscalus caudatus," Name on specimen in Massena collection. 



Baird B. of N. A. pi. 58. Rept. U. S. and Mex. Bound. Surv. pi. 20. 



Specimens from Texas, Panama and Vera Paz in the Acad. Mus. and from 

 Texas, Mexico, Yucatan, Guatemala, and Turbo, and Carthagena. New Grenada. 

 in Mus. Smiths. Inst. In the large number of the Smithsonian collection, 

 probably representing all ages and stages of plumage, there is some variation 

 in size and in the shades or lustres of apparently adult males, but I have not 

 determined reliable characters for more than one species. This bird seems to 

 inhabit all of Central America and the adjacent countries of both North and 

 South America. 



The largest species of this genus. Form lengthened but robust ; bill strong, 

 longer than the head; wing long, third quill usually longest; tail long, grad- 

 uated, outer feathers three to five inches shorter" than those in the middle : 

 legs and feet strong. 



Adult male. Black, head, neck, back and entire under parts with a fine 

 bluish purple lustre ; lower part of back and the upper tail coverts and also 

 the abdomen and under tail coverts frequently with green lustre, though in 

 specimens apparently not fully adult those parts are sometimes bluish bronze, 

 inclining to dark steel blue. Wings and tail with a slight purplish lustre, 

 smaller coverts with bluish green and larger coverts with greenish bronzed 

 lustre. Bill and feet black. Iris yellow. Total length 17 to 20 inches, wing 

 about 8, tail 8 to 10.} inches. 



Female. Smaller, and generally resembling the female of Q. major, but 

 darker colored above. Entire upper parts dark brown, nearly black and with 

 a green lustre on the back ; wings and tail dull brownish black. Under parts 

 light, dull yellowish brown ; paler on the throat and with a trace of narrow 



[Dec. 



