HiRnS — ICTKRIDAE QUISCALUS VERSICOLOR. 



555 



QUISCALUS MAJOR, V i c i 1 1 . 



BoaUtniled (irnkic; Jitckdaw. 



Gracuttt harila, Wilson, Indoi Am. Cm. VI, 1812, (not of Linnaeus.) 



Graeula quiscala, Ord. J. A. N. Sc. 1, 1818, 253, (not of Linnaeus.) 



Quisealus major, Vieillot, Nouv. Diet. XXVIII, 1819, 487.— I!on. Am. Orn. I, 1825, 35 ; pi. iv.— 1b. List, 1839.— 



Is. Consp. 1850, 424.— Add. Orn. Biog. II, 1834, 504: V, 1838, 480; pi. 187.— U. Syn. 1839, 



146.— Id. Birds Amor. IV, 1842, 52 ; pi. 220. 

 ChaUophantt major, " Temji." Cab.\nis, Mus. Hein. 1851, 196. 



Sp. Cii. — Bill longer than tlio liead. Foatliors of tlie crown stilF ami coarse. Tail moderate, about equal to tlio wing, much 

 graduated, the lateral foatliors about 2.50 inches sbortosl. General color lustrous black ; the head, neck, and fore part of tho 

 breast glos-wd with purple, passing insensibly on the rest of tho body to greon. 



Length, about 15 inches ; wing, 7 ; tail, 7.25. Bill above 1.55. 



//a*.— Southern Atlantic and Gulf coast. Mouth of Rio Grando, Texas. 



A specimen from Brownsville, Texas, though associated there with M. macrourus, appears to 

 possess all the characters of major. The loral region and space around the eye are quite bare of 

 feathers. 



List of specimens. 



QUISCALUS VERSICOLOR, Vieillot. 



Crow Blackbird; Purple Grakle. 



Graeula quhcala, Link. Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 165. — G.MELI11, I, 1788, 397. — Latham, |Ind. I, 1790, 191. — Wilson, 

 Am. Orn. Ill, 1811, 44 ; pi. xxi, f. 4. 



Chalchophants quiscalus, Wagler, Syst. At. 1827, (Graeula.) — Cab. Mus. Hein. 1851, 196. 



7 ? Oriolus ludovicianus, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 387 ; albino var. 



? ? Oriolus niger, G.meliv, Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 393. 



? Graeula purpurea, Bartram, Travels, 1791, 290. 



q,uuealus versUolor, Vieillot, Analyse.' 1816— Ib. Nout. Diet. XXVIII, 1819, 488.— Ib. Gal. Ois. 1,171; pi. 

 cviii.— Bon. Obs. Wils. 1824, No. 45.— Ib. Am. Orn. I, 1825, 45 ; pi. v.— Ib. List, 1838.— 

 Ib. Conspectus, 1840, 424.— Sw. F. Bor. Am. 11, 1831, 485.— Ndttall, Man. 1, 1832, 194.— 

 Am. Orn. Biog. I, 1831, 35 : V, 1838, 481 ; pi. vii— Ib. Syn. 1839, 146.— Ib. Birds Amer. 

 IV, 1842,58; pi. 2;31. 



Graeula barila, Ord. J. A. N. Sc. I, 1818, 253. 



" Q,uisealus purpureus, Licht." 



Quiscalus niUns, Liciit. Verz. 1823, No. 164. 



Quisealus purpuralus, Swainson, Anim. in Menag. 1838, No. 55. 



Purple Grakle, Pennant, Arctic Zool. II. 



Sp. Ch. — Bill above, about as long as the head, more than twice as long as high ; tho commissure moderately sinuated and 

 considerably decurved at tip. Tail a little shorter than the wing, much graduated, the lateral feathers 1.10 inches shorter. 

 Third quill longest ; first between fourth and fifth. Head and neck all round well defined steel blue ; the rest of the body with 



