224 VERTEBRATES I BIRDS. 



constructs its curious nest on the outer drooping twigs 

 of elms and of other trees. The song consists of few 

 notes, but these are loud, full, and mellow. 



Bullock's Oriole, /. Bullockii, Bormp., of Western North 

 America, is seven and a half inches long, and the wing 

 three and eight tenths inches. The color is black, with 

 the under parts, the sides of head and neck, forehead and 

 line over the eye, rump and upper tail-coverts, and tail 

 except two central feathers, yellow orange ; the outer 

 edges of the quills and a band across the wing, white. 



The Genus Scolecophagus has the bill shorter than the 

 head, tail even or slightly rounded. 



The Rusty Blackbird, S.ferrugineus, Sw., of North Amer- 

 ica east of the Missouri, is nine and a half inches, and the 

 wing four and three quarters inches ; the general color 

 black, with purple reflections. The female is dull brown. 



Brewer's Blackbird, 5. cyanocephalus, Cab., of Western 

 North America, is ten inches long, the wing about five 

 and a third inches. 



The Genus Quiscalus has the bill as long as the head, 

 the tail long, graduated ; colors lustrous black. 



The Great-tailed Grakle, Q. macrourus, Sw., of the 

 Lower Rio Grande, is eighteen inches long, and the wing 

 seven and a half inches. 



The Boat-tailed Grakle or Jackdaw, Q. major, Vieill., 

 of the Southern Atlantic and Gulf States, is fifteen inches 

 long, and the wing seven inches ; the general color lus- 

 trous black, head and forward parts glossed with purple. 



The Crow Blackbird, Q. versicolor, Vieill., of North 

 America east of the Central Plains, is thirteen inches 

 long, the wing six inches ; head and neck all round 

 steel-blue, and the rest of the body black, with varied 

 metallic reflections. These beautiful birds are seen in 

 large numbers as soon as the farmers plough their fields, 

 which they visit to search for grubs and worms which the 



