198 OMNIVOROUS BIRDS. 



The male is 12 inches long, and 18 in alar extent. The prevailing 

 black color of the body is relieved by glossy reflections of steel blue, 

 dark violet and green ; the violet is most conspicuous on the head 

 and breast, and the green on the hind part of the neck. The back, 

 rump, and whole lower parls, with the exception of the breast, reflect 

 a cupreous gloss. The wing-coverts, secondaries, and coverts of 

 the tail, are light violet, with much of the red ; the rest of the wings 

 and rounded tail are black, with a steel-blue gloss. Iris silvery. — 

 The female is rather less, but very similar in color, and glossy parti- 

 colored reflections. 



BLACK ORIOLE, or SLENDER-BILLED BLACK- 

 BIRD. 



( Quiscalus harittts, Bonap. Gracula barita, Lin. Oriolus niger, Gia. 

 Latham, i. p. 185. Black Oriole, Pennant. Buf. pi. enlum. 534.) 



Sp. Charact. — Glossy black, with uniform bluish reflections faint- 

 ly inclining to green on the wings ; head and throat slightly 

 edged with ferruginous j tail nearly even, extending beyond the 

 wings more than 2 inches; osseous carina small; length 10^ 

 inches ; vertical breadth of the bill at base about | of an inch. — 

 The female scarcely smaller, dull brownish ; beneath and eye- 

 brows whitish. 



Of this species I know little more than that it is occa- 

 sionally seen in this vicinity in the spring, and has habits 

 very similar to the Ferruginous Blackbird. It is, how- 

 ever, distinguished at once, both from this and the com- 

 mon species, by its more slender elongated form, al- 

 most unvaried color, and general look even of a Thrush. 

 According to Pennant, they migrate as far north as Hud- 

 son's Bay, arriving there about the beginning of June, 

 and feed on insects and their larvae, singing agreeably 

 till the time of incubation, but afterwards only utter a 

 chucking noise till the young take to flight, when they 

 resume their song. They build their nests in trees, about 



