THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 215 



509 Euphagus carolinus (Muller). 

 Rusty Blackbird. 



Adult male. Length, 8.25-9.75. Wing, 4.50. Uniform glossy black with 

 bluish-green reflections, becoming slightly violet on the head, sometimes with 

 traces of buff edges to the feathers. In autumn the upper parts are heavily 

 veiled with rusty brown edgings, the lower parts with buff or cinnamon. 



Adult female. Uniform slaty-gray, slightly glossed with green above. In 

 the autumn veiled with rusty brown and cinnamon as in the male. 



Common transient visitant, especially along the large river val- 

 leys, and occasional in winter Morristown (Caskey), Moorestown 

 (Evans)/ Plainfield (Miller), 2 Princeton (Babson). 3 Spring, March 

 12th to April 15th; autumn, October. 



The Rusty Blackbird is only with us for a short time in spring and 

 fall; frequenting open, wet meadows and thickets, especially along 

 the tide-water creeks. It usually associates in small flocks, but also 

 occurs singly, and sometimes a solitary individual may be seen in a 

 flock of Sparrows on the river meadows in midwinter. Even as far 

 north as Englewood Mr. Chapman has found them wintering. 4 



In spring we occasionally hear the "song" of the male, a curious 

 combination of whistles and harsh notes resembling the creaking of 

 a rusty hinge. The plain dull color, square tail and yellow eye will 

 aid in identifying this species. 



511 Quiscalus quiscula (Linnaeus). 

 Purple Grackle, Crow Blackbird. 



PLATE 53. 



Adult male. Length, 12-13.50. Wing, 5.75. Plumage, iridescent; head, 

 neck and chest, metallic reddish-violet, bluish or golden green, or a mingling of 

 all three ; rest of body, metallic purple, blue or green ; rump with bars of 

 various shades of iridescence ; under parts, duller. 



Adult female. Length, 11-11.50. Wing, 5. Very much duller, metallic 

 colors much suppressed. 



Young in first summer. Uniform sooty black, with no iridescence, somewhat 

 paler beneath. 



1 Cassinia, 1903, p. 72. 



2 Auk, 1889, p. 303. 



3 Birds of Princeton, p. 60. 



4 Auk, 1889, p. 303. 



