218 



NOIITII AMKIiK'AX TURDS. 



Tho r'row r)l:u'l<ltir(l iicsts in various sitiiutinns, .sonictiTm's in low l)ushes, 

 iiioii! iViMpit'iitly ill tn'cs, and at \arions licJLjht.s. A |»air, tor .suveral yt'ais, 

 ImhI tlirir nest on the top of a liiuh fii-tnu', snnio sixty U'vt tVoin tlit' ^'loumi, 

 standin.L,' a lew t'ct'l IVoni niy tVonl (l<«.r. Tlio>i;i;h narrowly watclu'd Ity un- 

 frirndly cyts, no nne could drtcct tlR'ni in any niiscliit't'. Not a spear of corn 

 Wiis innlfstcd, and tlicir fuud was ( \( lusivdy insects, for wliicli they dili- 

 ucntly scarclicd, turninLr over cliijis, pieces ot" wood, and loose stones. Tlieir 

 nests are lar^'e, coarsely i»ut stronirly made o!" twii^s and dry plants, intor- 

 woven with stroiiLT steins of grasses. Wlieii the Fish Jlawks huild in their 

 neinlilioihood, Wilson states that it is a fre<pient oecurrence for the (Irakles 

 to place their nests in the interstices of those of the former. Some- 

 times several )>aiis make use of the .same Hawk's nest at the same time, 

 lisim; in sinuidar amity with its owner. Mr. Auduhon speaks of tindini,' 

 these birds generally hreediui^' in tlie hollows of trt'es. I have never met 

 with tlieir in'sts in these situations, hut Mr. William Hrewster savs he has 

 found tlh'iu nest inn in this manner in the northern i»art of Maine. lioth, 

 however, prol)al>ly refer to tlie var. (t nnifi. 



The e,m;s of the (Irakle e.\hi1»it great variations in their ground-color, 

 vai viiig from a liuht ''ii-enish-wliite to a deei) rustv-hrown. The former is 

 the more common color. Tlie eggs are marked with large daslies and hroad, 

 irregular streaks of Idack and dark hrown, often i»r(*senting a singular gro- 

 tes(pieness in their sliapes. Kggs with a deej) hrown ground are usually 

 marke<l chietly about tlu^ larger end with eontluent, cloudy blotches of deeper 

 shades of the same. The eggs measure 1.25 inches by .1)0. 



Var. ceneus, Ridgwat. 



BBONZED OBAKLE. 



Qm'sctilus vcmiodur, AuD. Oin. l>it»g. pi. vii ; liinls Am. IV, pi. cp.»:xi (fij^'iue, Imt nut 

 de.soii|itinn). — li.vMiD, Hinls N. Am. 1858, 555 (western s}>ecimen.). — JSa.MI'KL.s, 352. 

 Quiscalm iciieus, Kidgwav, Tr. riiil. Acad., June. l8Gi>. 134. 



Si'. Chak. Length, 12.50 to 13.50; wing, 6.00; tail, 6.00; pulmon, 1,20; tarsus, 1.32. 



Tiiird and fourth quills longest and 



equal; first shorter than liftli; projec- 

 tion of primaries heyond .secondaries, 

 1.28; graduation of tail, 1.48. 



Metallic tints rich, deej). and uni- 

 form. Head and neck all round rich 

 silky steel-blue, this strictly confined 

 to these portions, and abruptly de- 

 fined beliind, varying in .^hade from 

 an inten.^e Prussian Itlue to brassy- 

 \ax.<Bnevs. greenish, the latter tint always, when 



present, most apparent on the neck, the head always more violaceous; lores velvety- 

 black. Entire body, above and below, uniform continuous metallic bras.sy-olive, varying 



