Birds. 9299 
suddenly narrows, the sides being much deflected and incurved ;_ the 
lower mandible about an inch long, narrow and pointed as a needle. 
On the roof of the mouth there igs a sharp tooth-like projection three-- 
twentieths of an inch long. The tongue is one inch in length, narrow 
and fluted towards the end, which is slit and doubly grooved. The 
eye small; iris light yellow, though Wilson says silvery, but I could 
not be mistaken in the colour, having examined a wounded bird at 
noon-day; the pupil is black. The general colour of the plumage of 
this handsome bird, as its name denotes, is purple, but the shades 
vary so much with every change of light that it is difficult to describe 
it. Seen at a distance the grackle appears perfectly black. The head 
is dark glossy purple, but the feathers about the bill are black; the 
hind neck blue, bordered with green. The feathers on the anterior 
part of the back are broadly margined with bright copper, having a 
greenish tinge. Scapulars very elongated; they are of a violet colour, 
with a rusty brown tinge, and have obscure black markings. Tail 
feathers bright blue on the outer webs, dark blue on the inner, with 
obscure dusky transverse bars; they are all incurved. The wing 
feathers are of various lengths, but as the bird was moulting I shall 
not describe the quills further than by stating that they are of a glossy 
violet on the outer webs, black on the inner, with a bluish tinge. The 
primary coverts black, narrowly bordered with violet and indigo-blue. 
Secondary coverts black, shaded with blue on the inner web, and 
margined on the outer with glossy blue and purple. Smaller coverts 
dark blue, with bronzed edges and tips. Under wing-coverts black, 
with a bluish tinge. Throat and breast light blue, tinged with green 
and violet. The under parts bright copper, with a greenish tinge, but 
the feathers are black near the shafts, and have a shade of gray. Vent 
dark indigo. Thigh 2 inches 2-tenths, bluish black, but brown at the 
knee. Tarsus, toes and claws black. 
Hermit Thrush (Turdus solitarius). On the 19th of September 
procured a bird of this species, a male, I believe. Length 77 inches; 
extent of wings nearly 12 inches. Bill on the ridge } an inch; from 
gape 8-tenths of an inch; nostril oval. Upper mandible black, point 
decurved and notched; the lower one light horn-colour at the base, 
black at the point. Eye large; head dark olive-brown, back some- 
what lighter, and the tail-coverts have a yellowish tinge on the margins. 
Tail 2 inches 8-tenths in length; it has twelve feathers, the exterior 
ones slightly exceeding the rest; they are all greenish yellow on the 
outer webs; hair brown on the inner, faintly but regularly barred with 
brown, and tipped with gray, the centre ones being a few shades 
