114 SINGING BIRDS. 



BOAT-TAILED CRACKLE, 



JACKDAW. 

 QUISCALUS MAJOR. 



Char. Extremely long, wedge-shaped tail, less conspicuous in female. 

 Male : black, with metallic tints of green, blue, and purple. Length 15 to 

 lyYz inches. Female : above, brown j beneath, grayish brown, changing to 

 reddish and buffy on breast and throat. Length, ii>4 to 13 inches. 



Nest. A bulky structure of dried grass and strips of bark, cemented 

 with mud and lined with fine grass ; placed in a tree in swamp or near a 

 marsh, sometimes fastened to rushes. 



Eggs. 3-5 ; grayish drab with tints of green or blue, marked with 

 black and brown blotches and lines ; 1.25 X 0.90. 



This large and Crow-like species, sometimes called the Jack- 

 daw, inhabits the southern maritime parts of the Union only, 

 particularly the States of Georgia and Florida, where they are 

 seen as early as the close of January or beginning of February, 

 but do not begin to pair before March, previously to which 

 season the sexes are seen in separate flocks. But about the 

 latter end of November they quit even the mild climate of 

 Florida, generally, and seek winter-quarters probably in the 

 West Indies, where they are known to be numerous, as well as 

 in Mexico, Louisiana, and Texas ; but they do not ever extend 

 their northern migrations as far as the Middle States. Previ- 

 ous to their departure, at the approach of winter, they are seen 

 to assemble in large flocks, and every morning flights of them, 

 at a great height, are seen moving away to the south. 



Like most gregarious birds, they are of a very sociable 

 disposition, and are frequently observed to mingle with the 

 common Crow Blackbirds. They assemble in great numbers 

 among the sea islands, and neighboring marshes on the main- 

 land, where they feed at low water on the oyster-beds and sand- 

 flats. Like Crows, they are omnivorous, their food consisting 

 of insects, small shell-fish, corn, and small grain, so that by 

 turns they may be viewed as the friend or plunderer of the 

 planter. 



