280 AVES: PASSERES. XLVL 



889. S. cyanocephalus (Wagler). BREWER'S BLACKBIRD. $ 

 black with green lustre, head glossed with violet ; 9 dusky. L. 10. 

 W. 5. T. 4J. W. N. Am., straying E. to 111. (ict/awy, blue; 

 q, head.) 



470. QUISCALUS Vieillot. (From the bird's note.) 



890. Q. quiscula (L.). CROW BLACKBIRD. PURPLE GRACKLE. 

 Iridescent black, lustre on head purplish, on body bronzy. L. 13. 

 W. 54. T. 5. E. U. S., abundant ; now divided into the typical 

 variety, chiefly S. of N. Y. and E. of Alleghanies, and var. aeneus 

 Ridgway, the common form N". and W., the latter with the body 

 with uniform bronze lustre, without mixed tints, this color abruptly 

 defined against the iridescent violet of the neck. Var. quiscula is 

 nearly uniform iridescent. 



891. Q. major Vieillot. BOAT-TAILED GRACKLE. Iridescent 

 green and blue. Larger. L. 17. W. 1\. T. 1\. Va. to Texas 

 and S. 



FAMILY CLXVII. PRINGILLID^E. 1 (THE FINCHES.) 



Primaries 9, the first being obsolete. Bill " conirostral," mostly 

 shorter than head, robust, of a conical form, with the commissure 

 more or less abruptly angulated near its base ; in other words, the 

 "corners of the mouth drawn down." This feature is usually 

 strongly marked, and it is almost the only special character per- 

 taining to all the members of the family. Even this is also shared 

 by the Icteridce, which, however, may generally be distinguished by 

 the greater length and slenderness of the bill. Nostrils high up, 

 exposed or (in northern species) partly covered by a ruff of small 



1 Sundevall and Stejneger have placed the Fringillidce at the end or head of the 

 series of birds, for reasons which seem to me sufficient ones. " In order to find out 

 the most specialized form of the Passeres, we must look for the bird which is most 

 specialized in all directions, not only as to the coloration of its plumage, or the 

 fusion of its tarsal covering. The ideally highest form . . . would have booted 

 tarsi, 9 primaries, long mandibular symphysis, powerful bill for grain crushing, a 

 digestive system adapted for grain-feeding, and the coloration of young and adult 

 unspotted and similar. That this is the regular course and ultimate end of the evo- 

 lution among the higher birds is evident from the fact that we can trace it in nearly 

 all the groups, and in the individual development of the birds possessing these 

 characters." (Stejneger.) 



Acting on this principle, Stejneger selects as the highest or most specialized bird 

 the Evening Grosbeak. " The number of its primaries is reduced to 9, the mandibu- 

 lar symphysis is well developed, the palatine and facial part of the skull is highly 

 specialized, and so is the digestive canal. Furthermore the plumage of the young is 

 essentially like that of the adults." It fails, then, in only one respect, its tarsus 

 is not booted. 



In most recent American systems, however, the Turdidce are placed at the head 

 of the list ; and as the A. O. U. has adopted this arrangement it is retained here, 

 the " post of honor " being given to the beautiful Arctic Bluebird rather than to the 

 Evening Grosbeak, although the latter has certainly the better claim. 



