ICTERID.E — THE 0RI0I.E8. 



215 



longest ; first between fourth and liftli. Color l>lnok, variously cjlossuil with metallic 



relleetions of hroiize, purple, violet, blue, anil green. Female similar, l)Ut .smaller and 



duller, Willi pi'iliap.s more {jreen on 



tliehead. Len^'ih, 13.t»0; wing, (J.UO; 



ill above, 1.U3. "-N. 



IfAii. From Atlantic to the high 

 Central I'lains, 



Of the Crow lilackbiicl of the 

 United States, three -well-marked 

 races are now distinguished in 

 the species : one, the common 

 form of the Atliintic States ; an- 

 other occurring in the Mississijipi 

 Valley, the IJritisli iNissessions, 

 and the Xew England States, and 

 a tliird on the Peninsula of Flor- 

 ida. The comparative diagnoses 

 of the three will be found on jiago 809 



Quiscalus purpurem. 



Var. purpureuii Bartrah. 



FTJBFLE OBAKLS. 



OracuJa qnisenla, Likn. Syst. Nat. I, (cd. 10,) 1758, 109 ()h:{c<lnla purpurea, Cal.> ; I, (ed. 

 12,) 176ti, 165. — Gmki.is, I, 1788, ;!07. — L.\riiAM, Ind. 1, 17'.iO, 191. — Wilson, Am. 

 Orn. Ill, 1811, 44, pi. xxi, f. 4. ('hiilriiithanct qiiiscidus, Waglku, Syst. Av. 1827 (Gra- 

 ciilu). — C'Aii. Mu.s. Ilt'in. IS.")!, 190. li Orinlus huhivifianus, O.MEI.IX, Syst. Xat. I, 

 1788, 387 ; albino var. ?! Orinlus iiiijer, Omklis', Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 393. ! Oiacula 

 purimrea, lUurisA.M, Travels, 1791, 290. Qukcnhis rcrsicoloi; ViKii.i.or, Analyse? 

 1810. — In. Nouv. Diet. XXVIII, 1819, 4S8. — In. tial. Oi.s. I, 171, pi. oviii. — Hon. 

 Obs. Wils. 1824, No. 45. — In. Am. Orn. I, 1825. 45, [>!. v. — In. List, 1838. — In. Con- 

 spectus, 1840, 424. —Sw. F. Hor.-Am. II, 1831, 4S5. — Nuttai.i,, Man. I, 1832, 194. 



— Aun. Orn. Biog. I, 1831, 35 ; V, 1838, 481 (not the pi. vii.). —-In. Syn. 1839, 140. 



— In. Birds Am. IV, 1842, 58 (not the pi. ccxxi.). — lUinn, ilirds N. Am. 18,'.8, 575. 

 (fmciila luirita, Oiin, J. A. N. Se. I, 1818, 253. ^'QuIschIhs piirpitiriiK, Lienr." — 

 Ca,ssin, Pr. A. N. Se., 18«6, 403. — IlinowAV, Vi: A. N. S. 1869, 133. — Al.i.KX, 

 B. E. Fla. 291 (in part). Qiii.m/u.f ni/eiis, Licnr. Verz. 1823, No. 164. Qitimtlus 

 punnirnfiis, SwAlx.soN, Anini. in Jbmag. 1838, No. 55. Purple Grakle, Pes.sant, 

 Aretie Zoiil. II. 



Sp. Ciiau. Length about 12.50; wing, .')..50; tail, 4.92; culmen, 1.24; tarsus, 1.28. 

 Second quill longe.st, hardly perceptibly (only .07 of an inch) longer than the lirst and 

 third, which are equal; projection of primaries beyond seccnidaries, LijG; graduation of 

 tail, .02. General appearance glo.ssy black ; whole ])luninge, however, brightly glossed 

 with reddish-violet, bronzed purple, steel-blue, and grc'en ; the head and neck with pnr[)Ie 

 prevailing, this being in some individuals more bluish, in others more reddish ; where 

 most blue this is purest anteriorly, becoming more violet on the neck. On other portions 

 of the body the blue and violet forming an iridescent zone on each feather, the blue lirst, 

 the violet terminal; sometimes the head is similarly marked. On the abdomen the blue 



