ICTERID.E — THE ORIOLES. 



215 



longest; first between fourth and fifth. Color hiack, variou.sly glos.sed with metallic 

 reflections of bronze, purple, violet, blue, and green. Female similar, but smaller and 

 duller, with perhaps more green on 

 the head. Length, 13.00; wing, 6.00; 

 ill above, L25. 



Hab. From Atlantic to the high 

 Central Plains. 



Of the Crow Blackbiixl of the 

 United States, three well-marked 

 races are now distinguished in 

 the species : one, tlie common 

 form of tlie Atlantic States ; an- 

 other occurring in tlie Mississippi 

 Valley, the British Possessions, 

 and the New England States, and 

 a tliird on tlie Peninsula of Flor- 

 ida. The comparative diagnoses 

 of the three will be found on page 809 



Quiscalus pttrpureus. 



Var. purpureuSf Bartram. 



PTJEPLE GRAKLE. 



i 6cJ 



Gracula quiscula, Lixx. Syst. Nat. I, (ed. 10,) 175S, 109 (ilmieihila purpurea, Cal.) ; I, (ed. 

 12,) 1766, 165. — G.MEUN, I, 1788, 397. — Latham, Ind. I, 1790, 191. — AVilson, Am. 

 Orn. Ill, 1811, 44, pi. -x.xi, f. 4. CluUcnphancs quiscalus, Wagler, Syst. Av. 1827 (Gra- 

 cula). — Cab. Mus. Hein. 1851, 196. ? ? Oriolus lurlovicianiis, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. I, 

 1788, 387 ; albino var. ? ? Oriolus niger, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 393. .? Gracula 

 purpurea, Bartraji, Travels, 1791, 290. Quiscalus versicolor, Vieillot, Analyse ? 

 1816. — Ib. Nouv. Diet. XXVIII, 1819, 488. —In. Gal. Ois. I, 171, pi. cviii. — Bon. 

 Obs. Wils. 1824, No. 45. — Ib. Am. Orn. I, 1825, 45, pi. v. — Ib. List, 1838. — lis. Con- 

 spectu,s, 1840, 424. —Sw. F. Bor.-Am. II, 1831, 485. — Nuttall, Man. I, 1832, 194. 



— Ann. Om. Biog. I, 1831, 35 ; V, 1838, 481 (not the pi. vii.). — Ib. Syn. 1839, 146. 



— Ib. Birds Am. IV, 1842, 58 (not the pi. ccx.xi.). — Bauid, Birds N. Am. 1858, 575. 

 Gracula barita, Ohd, J. A. N. Sc. I, 1818, 253. " Quiscalus jnayurcus, Lk'IIT." — 

 Cassin, Pr. a. N. Sc, 1866, 403. — Ridoway, Pr. A. N. S. 1869, 133. — Allen, 

 B. E. Fla. 291 (in part). Quiscalus nitens, Licht. Verz. 1823, No. 164. Quiscalus 

 purpuratus, Swainson, Anim. in Menag. 1838, No. 55. Purple Grakle. Pennant, 

 Arctic Zobl. II. 



Sp. Char. Length about 12.50; wing. .5.50; tail, 4.92; culmen, 1.24; tarsu-s 1.28. 

 Second quill longest, hardly perceptibly (only .07 of an inch) longer than the first and 

 third, which are equal; projection of primaries beyond secondarie.'s, 1.56; graduation of 

 tail, .92. General appearance glossy black ; whole plumage, however, brightly glossed 

 with reddish-violet, bronzed purple, steel-blue, and green ; the head and neck with purple 

 prevailing, this being in some individuals more bluish, in others more reddish ; where 

 most blue this is purest anteriorly, becoming more violet on the neck. On other portions 

 of the body the blue and violet forming an iride.'^cont zone on each feather, the blue first, 

 the violet terminal ; sometimes the head is similarly marked. On the abdomen the blue 



