148 QUISCALUS VERS1COLOR. 



QUISCALUS VEBSICOLOR. 

 Purple Grackle. Crow Blackbird. 



Quiscalus versicolor VIEILL, Analyse; 1816. 



Quiecalus ayetaMs BAIRD, Amer. Jour. Sci. and Arts, XU, 87: 186(5. 



Quiscalus teneus RIDGWAY, Proc. Phil. Acad. Nat. Sci.; 180'J, 135. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Sr. CH. Form, robust. Size, quite large. Feet, stout. Tongue, long, somewhat fleshy, but thin and hoiny for the 

 terminal fourth, bifid, and provided with fine, terminal cilia which extends along the sides of the horny portion. Blue in 

 color, black at tip. Sternum, not very stout. 



COLOR. Adult male. Uniform lustrous black throughout with bluish and greenish reflections on the head, neck, and 

 upper breast. The remainder of the body is bronzy with violet reflections on the wings and tail. Eyelids, dark-brown. 

 Iris, white. Bill and feet, black. 



Adult female. Uniform, dull brownish-black throughout, with greenish reflections on the head and with bluish on the 

 wings and tail. Bill, feet, and iris as in the male. 



Youny of the year. Similar to the adult female but the males show some of the bright reflections, but the frinales are 

 much duller. 



Nestlings. Uniform dark-brown, darkest on the wings and tail, where there is a slight gloss of violet. There is a yel- 

 lowish overwashing beneath , where there are indications of dusky streakings. Iris, dark slaty-blue. Bill and i'cet brown. 

 The wing and tail feathers are moulted. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



There is a great amount of variation in skins' from different localities. Birds from New England besides being quite 

 large in size have usually, though not always, the bluish-green reflections of the head ending in a well defined line on the 

 neck, and the wings are uniform in coloration. Birds from Florida differ from this in being beautifully varigated on the 

 wings, back, sides, and rump, with bronze and violet reflections, while the head is of a purer blue, and specimens from the 

 middle district rather combine the two patterns of coloration. I have, however, seen a perfect series of gradations in all 

 respects and thus look upon the so-called species as given in the synonyms. The nestlings are at first much darker than 

 those described, as seen by a male partly fledged which was kindly procured for me by the Bangs Brothers. Distributed 

 in summer throughout Eastern North America from the Arctic Circle to the Gulf of Mexico. Wintering in the mure south- 

 ern portions. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of fifteen male specimens from New England. Length, 12'62; stretch, 17-73; wing, 6'65; tail. 

 5'30; bill, 1'75; tarsus, 1'25. Longest specimen, 13-20; greatest extent of wing, 18 - 42; longest wing, 6'05; tail,6 - 09; bill, 

 HX); tarsus, 1'30. Shortest specimen, 12-00; smallest extent of wing, 17' 10; shortest wing, 5'22; tail, 4'5H; bill, 1-45; 

 tarsus, 1-09. 



Average measurements of nine female specimens from New England. Length, 11 "45; stretch, 15'76; wing, 4'95; tail, 

 4-52; bill, 1'45; tarsus, 1'20. Longest specimen, 12-00; greatest extant of wing, 16-30; longest wing, 5-23; tail,4'89; bill. 

 T55; tarsus, 1'25.. Shortest specimen, ll'OO; smallest extent of wing, 15'30; shortest wing, 4'62; tail, 4'10; bill, I'-IO; tar- 

 sus, ri5. 



Average measurements of twenty male specimens from Florida. Length, 12-14; stretch, IG'12; wing, 4-04; tail, 4'82: 

 bill, 1'25; tarsus, 1'22. Longest specimen, 12'50; greatest extent of wing, 17'30; longest wing, 5'55; tail, 5'05; bill, 1'30; 

 tarsus, 1-30. Shortest speciman, ll'OO; smallest extant of wing, 15-49; shortest wing, 4'40; tail, 4'09; bill, 1-20; tarsus, 

 1-08. 



Averags measurements of twenty farnale spacimsns from Florida. Length, 1T14; stretch, 14-OU; wing, 5-20; tail, 

 4'86; bill, - 98; tarsus, T22. Longest specimen, 11'75; greatest extent of wing, 15'49; longest wim:. ;">">-!; tail, 5-24; bill, 

 82; tarsus, T25. Shortest specimen, lO'OO; smallest extent of wing, 13-54; shortest wing, 4'75; tail, 4"24; bill, 1'22; far>u-. 

 99. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nests, placed in trees and bushes. They are large, compact structures composed of course grass and weeds mixed with 

 mud and moulded into form, lined with fine grass. Dimensions: external diameter, 7-(K), internal, 3'45. External depth, 

 4-50, internal, 3'. r >0. 



Eyys, from four to five in number, oval in form, pale-blue in color, spotted, blotched and lined with brown and umber. 

 The lines arc seldom well defined on the edges, and the ground color is often clouded, being sometimes completely obscured 

 with brownish washing. Some specimens are uniformly dotted throughout. Dimensions from l'30x'90 to l-09x'8C. 



