^^^ SCOLECOPHAGUS FEnRUGfNEUS. 



GENUS VII. SCOLFX'OPIIAGUS. THE RUSTY liLACKlUIlDS. 



<jiEN. Cii. Dill, slender, pohilccl, not very broad al tip, a little shorter than the head. Upper and lower mandibles a lit- 

 tle cureed. Wmi/s, loiiijer than the tail whieh is slii/hlly rounded. Feet, not lareje. Sternum, narrow. Keel, higher than 

 one half the toidth of the sternum. Minyinal indentations eitreediny in depth the hciyht of the keel. Coracoids e.rceediny in. 

 length the top of the keel. Stomarh, not eery museular. Size, rather large. 



The adult miilos arc black in, culur, but the fwuales arc duller, while the young show rusty markiugs. There are never 

 any bright colors. 



SCOLECOPHAGUS FERRUGINEUS. 



Busty Grackle. 



Scolecophagus ferruginf-usSviAm'^Ofi., F. Bor. Ara., II; 1831, 28&. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Sp. Cn. Form, rather robust. Size, quite large. Feet, medium. Tongue, long, thin and horny, with a terminal 

 tuft of hair-like filiei-s. Sternmu, a.s given aliove. 



Color. Adult male in summer. Unifonn lustrous black throughout, with greenish reflections. Bill, black, lighter 

 at base of lower mandible. Feet, brown. 



Adult female in sumenir. Uniform (lai-k-iiluiiilieous througliout, lighter on the throat, becoming very dark on tlie wings 

 and tail wliere there arc grssnish reflictions. 



Adult and young in autumn. Similar to the summer adult but having all the feathers margined with retldish-brown, 

 while the adult females are darker. 



Young of the year. The males are dull black with the entire plumage overwashed with reddish-brown. There are also 

 superciliary lines of the same. The female is dull-plumlteoas, but is so overwashed with rasty that the ground color is quite 

 olipcured. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



There is considerable variation in size but there is no essential difference in color in birds of the same age and sex. 

 Readily known by the uniform black and plumbeous plumage in the adult stage, and the young may be distinguished by 

 the rusty overwashing. Distriliuted in summer throughout Eastern North America, north of tlie White Mountain range. 

 Winters from tlie Carolinas to Middle Florida. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of ten specimens. Lcngtli, 950; stretch, 14"50; wing, I-IS; tail, 3-50; bill, -75; tarsus, 1-2.'). 

 Longest specimen, 'J-70; greatest extent of wing, It'Oi); longest wing, 4-80; tail, 3-95; bill, -80; tai-sus, 1-30. Short&st speci- 

 men, 8-0.5; smallest extent of wing, 13-G(); shortest wing, iVi; tail, 3-35; bill, -70; tai-sus, 1-2(1. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nests, placed in bushes, com]X)sed of twigs, weeds, and grass, the latter being mixed with mud. The whole is lined 

 with leaves and fine gra.ss. Dimensions; external diameter, 6-50, internal, 2-00. External depth, 4-00, internal, 2-00. 



Eggs, from thi-ee to five in number, oval in form, pale-blue in color, sjxitted and lined with light-lir(.iwn. Dimensions 

 from r05x-75 to l-OOx-70. 



HABITS. 



Just south of Blue Springs, Florida, was a thick grove of Palmettocs which bordered 

 a narrow strip of inarsh that lay between it and the St. John's River. These trees, like 

 many others which grow in rich soil, were quite high and the fronds very large, consequent- 

 ly the shade was so dense that the sun was quite excluded. Thus a somber liglit pervaded 

 tlie place which was not conducive to the growth of plants so that the (hirk soil was covered 

 with rapidly decaying fragments of palm fronds. This debris naturally formed a shelter 

 for many insects and minute mollusks which were, however, far from being safe in their 

 ghiomy retreat, for large numbers of Rusty Grackles had found that they were abundant 



