280 AVES: PASSERES. — XLVI. 



HS9. 8. cyanocephalus ( Wii'^lcr). Bkkwkk's Blackiuud. $ 

 black with ^rcen Iti.stiv, lioad j^lossfd with violet; 9 <iusky. L. 10. 

 AV. 5^. T. 4^. W. N. Am., straying E. to 111. {Kvavoi, blue; 

 Kf<f)aXr), head.) 



470. QUISCALUS Vicillot. (From the bird's note.) 



890. Q. quiscula (L.). Cuow Blackbird. Purple Guackle. 

 Iridescent bliick, lustre on head yjurplish, on body bronzy. L. 13. 

 W. 5^. T. 5 J. E. U. S., abundant; now divided into the typical 

 variety, chielly S. of N. Y. and E. of AlU'<;hanies, and var. seneos 

 Kid;^way, the common form N. and W., the latter with the body 

 with uniform bronze lustre, without mi.xcd tints, this color abruptly 

 defined a^'ainst the iridescent violet of the neck. Var. quiscula is 

 nearly uniform iridescent. 



Hid. Q. major Vicillot. BoAT-TAiLED Grackle. Iridescent 

 green and blue. Larger. L. 1 7. W. 7^. T. 7^. Va. to Texas 

 and S. 



Family CLXV II. FRINGILLID^.i (The Finches.) 



Primaries 9, the first being obsolete. Bill " conirostral," mostly 

 shorter than head, rol)ust, of a conical form, with the commissure 

 more or less abrui)tly angulatcd near its base ; in other words, the 

 "corners of the mouth drawn down." This feature is usually 

 strongly marked, and it is almost the only special character per- 

 taining to all the members of the family. Even this is also shared 

 by the Icleritlte, which, however, may generally lie ilistinguished by 

 the greater length and slenderness of the bill. Nostrils high up, 

 exposed or (in northern species) partly covered by a ruff of small 



> Simdevall and Stejneger have placed the Fringillidce at the end or head of the 

 series nf birds, for re,a.sons which seem to me sufflcieiit ones. " In onler to find out 

 the must 8po('ialized tovm of the Piutserr.t, we must look for the binl which is most 

 Hpeciull^d in all directions, not only as to the coloration of its iilumaice, or the 

 fusion of its tarsal covering. The i/Zoi/?;/ hinliest form . . . would have booted 

 tarsi, iirim.Tries, long mandibular symi)hysis, jmwerful bill for gmin crushing, a 

 digcilive system adapted for grain-fcrding, and the coloration of young and aclult 

 unsi>ott*'d and similar. That this is tlie regular course and ultimate end of the evo- 

 lutiou among the liigher birds is evident fn>ni the fact that we can trace it in nearly 

 all the groiijis. and in the individual development of tlie birds possessing these 

 characters." (Slrjneger.) 



Acting on tins principle, Stejnogcr selects as the highest or mo.st specialized bird 

 the Evening (irosbcak. " Tlic number of its jirimaries is reduced to 0, the maiidibii- 

 Ur symiihysis is well developed, the i>alatiue and facial jiart of the skull is highly 

 Hpccializctl, and so is the digestive canal. Furthennorc the plumage of the young is 

 essentially like that of the adults." It fails, then, in only one resjiect, — its tarsus 

 is not iKjotcd. 



In most r«H'ent American systems, however, the TurdUlir are placed at the head 

 of the list ; and as the A. O. U. has adopted this arraiiu-ement it is retained here, 

 the " post of honor" iH-iiig given t') the lienutiful Arctic Hluebirtl rather than to the 

 Evening Urosbcak, although the latter has ccrUiinly the better claim. 



