236 BULLETIN 50, UNITED STATES^ NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



p. Larger, with relatively longer and thinner bill (wing averaging 150, tail 

 147.8, cnlmen 37.1, depth of liill at base 12.7); coloration much paler, 

 under parts approximating hair brown, the chin and throat conspicu- 

 ously paler and more 1mffy. 



Megaquiscalus major macrourus, adult female (p. 238) 



ee. Smaller, with relative!}' shorter and thicker bill (wing averaging 144, 



tail 138.2, culmen 34.5, depth of bill at base 11.9); coloration much 



darker, the under parts approximating deep broccoli brown or bistre, 



the chin and throat not conspicuously paler (l)roccoli brown or deep 



wood brown) Megaquiscalus major obscurus, adult female (p. 241) 



dd. Smaller, with relatively shorter tail (wing averaging less than 143.5, tail 

 averaging less than 133); under parts paler, more ochraceous or buffy 

 brown. 

 e. Larger (wing averaging 142.7, tail 129.5, culmen 37.1, tarsus 42). 



Megaquiscalus major major, adult female (p. 237) 



ee. Smaller (wing averaging less than 135.9, tail less than 127, culmen less 



than 35.6, tarsus less than 40). 



/. Under parts ochraceous-brown ; larger, with shorter and stouter bill 



(wing averaging 134.9, tail 124.5, culmen 32.8, depth of bill at base 



11.7) Megaquiscalus major graysoni, adult female (p. 241) 



ff. Under parts light wood ])rown; smaller, with longer and thinner bill 

 (wing averaging 132, tail 122.9, culmen 34.3, depth of bill at base 



11.7) Megaquiscalus major nelsoni, adult female (p. 242) 



cc. Pileum, hindneck, and upper back rusty brown, conspicuously different from 

 color of rump; bill very slightly decurved at tip. 



Megaquiscalus tenuirostris, adult female (p. 243) 

 hh. Smaller (wing 104, tail 101.(5); under parts dull whitish. 



Megaquiscalus nicaraguensis, adult female (p. 244) 



1 have omitted from the key a supposed Colombian form of M. 

 Tttajor {M. nutjor asswiilis^)., not having been able to examine a 

 specimen. 



MEGAQUISCALUS MAJOR MAJOR (Vieillot). 

 BOAT-TAILED GRACKLE. 



Adult nnale. — Head and neck glossy dark violet, passing gradually 

 into steel blue on the back and breast, this into dark bluish green on 

 rump, abdomen, and flanks (duller on rump); lesser wing-coverts dark 

 steel blue, the middle coverts green or bluish green; rest of wings, 

 together with the tail, black, very fainth^ glossed with bluish green; 

 thighs, anal region, and under tail-coverts black; bill, legs, and feet 

 black; iris brown. 



Imriiature male {Jii'st year). — Black above, more or less glossed with 

 bluish green, sooty black below. 



'Megaquiscalus major assimilis (Sclater). — Bogota Grackle. 



(?) Quisadus pernviatiKs Swainson, Anim. in Menag., pt. iii, Jan. 1, 1838, 354 



(Peru; coll. W. Swainson).— Cassin, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1866, 412 



(crit.). 

 (?) Q\_ul,'<r(dus'] peruvianas Bonaparte, Consp. Av., i, 1850, 424 (Peru). 

 Quiscalus assimilis Sclatkk, Cat. Am. Birds, 1862, 141 (Bogota, Colombia; coll. 



P. L. Sclater); Ibis, 1884, 156, part (Colombia; w. Peru; nionogr.); Cat. 



