QUISCALUS PURPUREUS, PURPLE GRACKLE. 203 



QUISCALUS PURPUREUS, (Bart.) Liclit. 

 Purple Grackle; Crow Blackbird. 



a. purpureus. 



Gracula quhcaJa, Linn., Svst. Nat. i, 1758, 109; 1766, 165.— Gm., i, 1788, .397.— Lath., 

 Ind. Oiu. i, 1790, 191.— Wils., iii, 1811, 44, pi. -21, f. 4. 



Chalcophaiuti qniscalns, Wagl., Syst. Av. 18"27. — Cab., Mus. Heiu. i, 1851, 196. 



Gramla pio-purea, Bai;t., Tniv. in Florida, 1791, 290. 



Quiscalm purpureus, Light. — Gray.— Woodh., Sitgr. Rep. 1853, 79. — Cass., Pr. Phila. 

 Acad. 1866, 403.— Ridgw., ibid. 1889, 133.— Allex, Bull. M. C. Z. ii, 1871, 291 

 (includes several species); iii, 1S72, 178. — CouES, Key. 1872, 160, fig. 102; pi. 

 5, tigs. 1, 3, 4, 5.— B. B. & R., N. A. B. ii, 1874, 214, 215, pi. 37, f. 1. 



Qiiiscalus versicolor, Vikill., Nouv. Diet, xxviii, 1819. 488; Gal. Ois. i, 171, pi. 108. — 

 Bp.. Obs. Wils. 1824, No. 45 ; Am. Oru. i, 1825, 45, pi. 5, f. 1 ; Syn. 1828, 54; 

 List, 1838, 28; Consp. i, 1850, 424.— S\v. & Rich., F. B. A. ii, 1831, 485.— Nutt., 

 Man. i, 1832, 194.— Aud., Oru. Biog. i, 1831, 35 ; v, 1839, 481 ; pi. 7 ; Syn. 1839, 

 146 ; B. Am. iv, 1842, 58, pi. 221.— Bd., B. N. A. 18.58, 555.— Hayd., Rep. 1862, 

 170.— TiuppE, Pr. Ess. Inst, vi, 1871, 187.— Sxow, B. Kans. 1873, 8. 



(?) Oriohts htdovicianus et hudsonius, Gm., i, 1788, 387. 



" A7«rHH.s quiseahis, Daudin." 



Gracula burila, Oru, Jouru. Pbila. Acad, i, 1818, 253. 



Qitiscalus iiitciis. Light., Verz. Donbl. 1823, 18, No. 164 (et "fulgida, Light.") 



Quiscalus 2>urpuratufi, S\v., Larduer's Cycl. 1838, 299. 



Chalcophanes purpurulus, Cab., Mus. Hein. 1851, 196. 



b. wneiis. 



Quiscalus wnenn, Ridgw., Pr. Pbila. Acad. 1889, 134 (cf. Aud., pi. 7; CouES, Key, 161). 

 Quiacalus 2>ur2}ureus var. ceneus, B. B. & R., N. A. B. ii, 1874, 218. 



('. aglcmis. 



Quiscahts Ixirilus, Bd., B. N. A. 18.58, 5.56, pi. 32 {an aucti). 



Quiscalus aghrus, Bd., Am. Journ. Sci. 1366, 84. — Cass., Pr. Pbila. Acad. 1866, 404. — 



Ridgw., ibid. 1869, 135. 

 Quiscalus purpureus var. aijlcrus, CoUES, Key, 1872, 161, pi. 5, figs. 2, 6. — B. B. & R., 



N. A. B. ii, 1874, 221, pi. 37, f. 2. 

 (For otbor probable syuonvms of tins species, and names of local races, see Sw., 

 Larduer's Cycl. 299, 300,^355;' Cass., Pr. Pbila. Acad. 1866, 404 ct seq. ; Allen, Bull. M. 

 C. Z. ii, 1871, 291.) 



Hab. — Nortb America, east of tbe Rocky Mountains. Nortb to Labrador, Hudson's 

 Bay, and tbe Saskatcbewan. Breeds tbrougbout its range. Winters iu tbe .Soutberu 

 States. Var. af/lauis from Soutbern Florida. 



Lieutenaut Warren's Exptifition. — 4761, Big Nemaba; 4766, 4762, 4758, 4760, 4767, Bald 

 Island, Missouri Rivei". 



The Crow Blackbird has lately been traced west to the Rocky Moniit- 

 aiiis ; it is abundant in the eastern i)art of the Missonri rej;ion. It has 

 been several times accredited to California, bnt the evidence remains 

 insutlicient. The variety ccneiis is very abundant along the Red River 

 of the North, breeding in hollows of trees, and later in the season I 

 hav(i found it far west on the Mouse River, in the same latitude. 



Mr. Tiiomas T. Gentry sends me the following paragraph : " This 

 i'aiiiiliar bird reaches the latitude of Philadelphia, usually about the 

 middle ot March. As 1 write (March 21), many small Hocks may be 

 seen in various directions, fluttering and cliatteriug auiong the trees. 

 ]!^est-building has been observed even as early as March 1~>; but then 

 oidy iu slicltcred situations, such as the south slopes of a hill. Here 

 the nests arc built chielly in the branches of coniferous trees. Usually, 

 but one brood is reared each season, but I have observed instances of a 

 second brood, when the season has been unusually iiropitious. In such 

 cases the lirst batch of young appeared iu April, the otlu-r in duly. 

 Tlu^ugh sometimes annoying to the agriculturist by its mi.schief in the 

 corn-liclds, this bird has nevertheless some good cjualities lecomuiend- 



