PLATE XXIV. PURPLE CRACKLE. COMMON CROW 



BLACKBIRD. 



Quiscalns qutscula. 



Glossy black all over ; iridescent on head and neck ; tail long and 

 rounded; eyes light yellow; bill and feet black. Length, 12. 50 inches. 



Migratory. Arrives early in March, leaves early in November. Its nest is a roughly 

 built affair, made of any trash plastered with mud, and is irregularly placed on tree, bush 

 or ground. The bird is gregarious even during the breeding season, but in August it may 

 be seen in immense flocks, in company with equally large numbers of Red-winged Black- 

 birds foraging in the grain fields, where they create sad havoc. The tail of the Purple 

 Crackle is what is called a keel or boat-tail. It is very much rounded, and during flight 

 the outer quills slant upwards in such fashion as to cause a depression in the centre with a 

 corresponding rise on each side, suggesting, it must be confessed remotely, the keel and 

 sides of a boat. 



The bird's notes are harsh and discordant, and many of its attitudes are ungraceful, 

 but, nevertheless, it is not without beauty. The gloss of its black coat and the sheen of 

 purple and violet, green and blue upon its head and breast, compel admiration. A walker. 



