GREAT CROW BLACKBIRD. 17£ 



of grain is cultivated, the ravages of these birds become less perceptible, 

 and the injury they cause comparatively trifling. 



The Great Crovr Blackbird is more than sixteen inches long, and 

 twenty-two in extent. The bill, from the angle of the mouth, is one 

 inch and three-quarters, and its color, like that of the feet, is black ; 

 the roof of the mouth is furnished with a slight osseous carina ; the irides 

 are pale yellow. The general appearance of the bird is black ; the 

 whole head and neck having bluish-purple reflections ; the interscapu- 

 lar region, breast, belly, sides, and smaller wing coverts, are glossy 

 steel-blue ; the back, rump, and middling wing coverts, are glossed with 

 copper-green ; the vent, inferior tail coverts, and thighs, are plain black. 

 The undescribed parts of the wings are deep black, slightly glossed 

 with green, as well as the tail, which is cuneiform, capable of assum- 

 ing a boat-shaped appearance, and measures nearly eight inches in 

 length from its insertion, surpassing the tip of the wings by five inches. 



The female is considerably shorter, measuring only twelve and a half 

 inches in length, and seventeen inches and a half in extent. The bill, 

 from the angle of the mouth, is one inch and a half long, and, with the 

 feet, is black ; the irides are of a still paler yellow than those of the 

 male. The head and neck above are light brown, gradually passing 

 into dusky towards the back, which, with the scapulars and lesser wing 

 coverts, has slight greenish reflections ; a whitish line passes from the 

 nostrils over the eye, to the origin of the neck. The chin, throat, 

 and breast, are dull whitish ; the anterior part of the breast is slightly 

 tinged with brownish ; the flanks are brownish ; the belly brownish- 

 white ; and the vent and inferior tail coverts are blackish-brown, 

 each feather being margined with pale. The remaining parts are of 

 a dull brownish-black, slightly glossed with greenish ; the secondaries, 

 tail coverts, and tail feathers, having a slight banded appearance, 

 which is equally observable in the male. 



The young at first resemble the female, but have the irides brown, 

 and the males gradually acquire the brilliant plumage of the adult. 



The Great and Common Crow Blackbirds, are both alike distinguished 

 by the very remarkable boat-like form of the tail, but the great difl"er- 

 ence of size, appearance of the females, length of the tail, prominence 

 of the osseous carina, and brilliancy of coloring, most obviously prove 

 them to be altogether specifically distinct. 



The Great Crow Blackbird inhabits the southern part of the Union, 

 where it is called Jackdaw ; Georgia and Florida appear to be its favor- 

 ite residence. The disposition of this species is extremely social, and 

 they frequently mingle with the Common Crow Blackbird ; vast flocks 

 are seen among the sea islands and neighboring marshes on the main 

 land, where they feed at low water, on the oyster beds and sand flats. 



The cliuck of our species is shriller than that of the Common Crow 



