440 QUISCALUS VERSICOLOR: 



QUISCALUS VERSICOLOR. 



Purple Grackle. Crow Blackbird. 



Quiscalux vcrxirohir V'ieif.l, Analyse; Ifllfi. 



Quicca/us acjelaus Baird, Ainer. Joiir. Sc-i. an;l Arts, XLl, 87; 1866. 



Qi«'.sTfl/HS «nra.s RiDuvvAV, I'roo. Pliil. Acad. Nut. Sci.; 186U, 135. 



DESCRIPTION. 



S'p. Oil. Form, niltust. Size, quite larjre. Feet, stout. Tonjjue, long, somewliat fleshy, but tliin and horny for the 

 terminal Iburth, bifid, and provided witli tine, teiminal cilia whicli extends along the side.s of the horny jiortion. Blue in 

 color, lilack at tip. Sternum, not very stout. 



Color. Adult male. Uniform lustrous black throughout with liluish and greenish reflections on the head, neck, and 

 upper breast. The remainder of the body Ls bron-zy with violet reflections on the wings and tail. Eyelids, dark-brown. 

 Iris, white. Bill and feet, black. 



Adult female. Uniform, dull lirownish-black thnmghout, witli greenish reflections on the head and with liluish on the 

 wings and tail. Bill, feet, and iris a.s in the male. 



Youny of the year. Similar to the adult female but the males show .some of the bright reflections, but the females are 

 much duller. 



Nestlirt(js. Uniform dark-brown, darkest on the wings and tail, where there is a slight gloss of violet. There is a yel- 

 lowish overwashing beneath , wdiere there are indicatioas of dusky streakings. Iris, diirk slaty-blue. Bill and feet brown. 

 The wing and tail foather.s arc moulted. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



There is a great amount of variation in skins from different localitie.s. Birds from New England besides being quite 

 large in size have usually, though not always, the bluish-green reflections of the head ending in a well defined line on the 

 neck, and the wings are uniform in coloration. Birds from Florida differ from this in being beautifully varigated on the 

 wings, back, sides, and rump, with bronze and violet reflections, while the head Ls of a purer blue, and specimens from the 

 middle district rather combine the two patterns of coloration. I have, however, seen a perfect series of gradations in all 

 respects and thus look upon the .so-calleil species as given in the syntmyms. The nestlings are at first much darker thani 

 those described, as seen by a male jiartly fledged wdiich was kindly jirocured for me liy the Bangs Brothel's. Distriliuted 

 insu.nm:!r thr.)Ug!iout Eastern N.a-th America from the Arctic Circle to the Ualf of Me.\icj. Winte.-ing in the mire south- 

 ern portions. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of fifteen male specimens from New England. Length, 12'(i2; stretch, 17-73; wing, flTi5;tail, 

 .5-30; hill, l-7.'>; tarsus, I-a'i. Longest s|weimcn, 13-30; greatest extent of wing, 18-12; l(jngest wing, fi-O.'); tail,(i-Of); liill, 

 1-60; tarsus, 1-30. Shortest .s))ecimcn, I'i'Oi); smallest extent of wing, 17'1(I; shortest wing, 5'22; tail, 4-5H; bill, 1'45; 

 taisus, 1-on. 



Average measurements of nine female specimens from New England. Length, 1 1 •4.'); stretch, l.'5'7fi; wing, 4'0.'); tail, 

 4-.')2; bill, 1-45; tai-sus, 1-20. Longest specimen, 13-00; greatest extent of wing, 16-3(1; hmgest wing, 5-23; tail, 4-80; liill, 

 1-55; tai-sus, 1-25. Shortest spechnen, ITOO; .smallest extent of wing, 15-30; shortest wing, 4-C2; tail, 4-10; bill, 1-40; tar- 

 sus, 1-1.5. 



.\vei-age measurements of twenty male specimens from Florida. Length, 12-14; stretch, 16-12; wing, 4-04; tail, 4-82; 

 bill, 1 25; tarsus, 1-22. Longest specimen, 12-50; greatest extent of wing, 17-30; longest wing, 5-55; tail, 5-05; liill, 1-30; 

 tai-sus, 1-30. Shortest spx-i;nen, 11-00; smallest extent of wing, 15-4'J; .shortest wing, 4-40; tail, 4-00; hill, 1-20; tarsuS, 

 1-08. 



Avcr.iga ra.^isure.njnts of twjuty female specimens from Florida. Length, 11-14; stretch, 14-00; wing, 5-20; tail, 

 4-80; hill, -98, tai-sus, 1-22. Longest specimen, 11-75; greatest extent of wing, 15-49; longest wing, 5-52; tail, 5-24; bill, 

 •82; tai-sus, 1-25. Shortest specimen, 10-()0; smallest extent of wing, 13-54; shortest wing, 4-75; tail, 4-24; bill, 1-22; tarsus, 

 -99. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGOS. 



iVr.s/.s, placed in trees and Ixuhos. They are large, compact structures composed of coarse grass and weeds mixed v\-itb 

 Hind and moulded into form, lined with fine gi-a.ss. Dimensions: external diameter, 7-00, internal, 3-45. External dejith, 

 4 .50, internal, 3-.50. 



P':J!Js., from fmr to five in number, oval in form, jiale-blue in color, sjjotted, lilotched and lined with brown and umlier. 

 f '•(• line^ arc seldom well defined on the edges, and the ground color is often clouded, being .sometimes comjjletely obscured 

 wiL.i brownish washing. Some specimens are uniformly dotted throughout. Dimensions from l-30x-90to l-O'Jx'86. 



