16 LIFE-HISTORIES OF BIRD 



mated and moving in pairs, at considerable heights, after 

 the fashion of Ravens. These aerial flights being ended, 

 they would descend to the borders of the rivers to feed, 

 and when their fishing was over, would alight upon the live 

 oaks close by, where they would keep up an incessant gab- 

 bling while pluming themselves. This being over, they 

 would descend and feed until near sunset, when they would 

 silently move into the interior to roost upon the loblolly-pines. 

 Their return next morning was marked with vociferous and 

 animated demonstrations. 



The eggs have a light blue ground-color, and are marked 

 with a few dots and blotches of amber-brown on the small 

 end, which are more or less confluent on the larger, obscuring 

 largely the back-ground. Their size is but little superior to 

 the eggs of the Purple Grakle, measuring about i .40 inches in 

 length and .89 in width. In configuration, there is a very close 

 resemblance to those of Myiarc/uts crinitus in being almost 

 perfectly oval. Between the eggs of ossifr&gus and those of 

 Americcutits, there are marked contrasts in size, shape, and 

 markings, sufficiently striking to convince one of the dis- 

 tinctness of the two species, though other details should be 

 wanting. 



Dr. Brewer describes two eggs of this species from St. 

 Simon's Island, which have a light blue ground-color with 

 a slight greenish tinge, and marked with small light brown 

 blotches over the entire surface. One of these eggs measured 

 1.50 inches in length and i.io in breadth ; and the othei , 

 T .52 inches in length and 1 .09 in breadth. An egg originally 

 obtained from Great Egg Harbor, which was procured by 

 Wilson from the old Peale Museum, says the same author, 

 has a pinkish-gray ground, with smaller blotches and cloud- 

 ings of dark drab. There is no tinge of blue or green, 

 which led Dr. Ifrcwer to suppose it to be a faded specimen. 



Sub-family Garrulin8e, Joys. 



Wings shorter, or equalling the tail in length, both being 

 rounded. The tip of the wing is formed by the 4th yth 



