of the hamilton association. 221 



Genus QUISCALUS Vieillot. 



Subgenus QUISCALUS. 



198. QUISCALUS QUISCULA ^.NEUS (Ridgw.). 511b. 



Bronzed Grackle 



Metallic tints, rich, deep and uniform. Head and neck all round rich, 

 silky steel-blue, this strictly confined to these portions, and abruptly defined 

 behind, varying in shade from an intense Prussian-blue to brassy-greenish, 

 the latter tint always, when present, most apparent on the neck, the head 

 always more violaceous ; lores velvety-black. ICntire body, above and below, 

 uniform continuous metallic brassy-olive, varying to burnished golden 

 olivaceous-bronze, becoming gradually uniform metallic purplish or reddish- 

 violet on wings and tail, the last more purplish ; primaries violet-black ; bill, 

 tarsus and toes pure black, iris sulphur-yellow. 



Length, 12-50 to 13-50 ; wing, 6-00 ; tail, 6-00 ; culmen, 1-26 ; tarsus, 

 1-32. Third and fourth quills longest and equal ; first shorter than fifth ; 

 projection of primaries beyond secondaries, 1-28 ; graduation of the tail, 

 1-48. (Ridgway.) 



Hab. From the Alleghanies and New England north and west to 

 Hudson's Bay and the Rocky Mountains, 



Nest, coarse and bulky ; composed of twigs and weeds, with a mixture 

 of mud ; often placed4n a spruce or hemlock tree, sometimes in a bush over- 

 hanging the water, and occasionally in a hollow stub or deserted Wood- 

 pecker's hole. 



Eggs, 4 to 6 ; smoky-blue with irregular dark brown blotches, lines and 

 spots. 



The Bronzed Grackle was christened by Mr. Ridgway in the 

 Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Phila- 

 delphia in June, i86g. Prior to that date Dr. Baird had 

 separated one as peculiar to Florida, but all the others 

 were supposed to belong to the species named by Linn 

 as Quiscalus quiscula or Purple Grackle. Mr. Ridgway 

 on comparing a large number of specimens from different 

 points found the group to contain two well-defined species, and 

 his decision has now been generally adopted. One, the original 

 Purple Grackle, is the more southern bird of the two, its 

 habitat being given as " Atlantic States from Florida to Long 

 Island," while our present species is said to extend from the 

 Alleghanies and New England, north and west to Hudson's 



