THE PURPLE GEACKLE. 497 



J93- Quiscalus quiscula (Linnaeus). 



PUKPLE GEACKLE. 



Gracula quiscula Linn^tts, Systema Naturae, ed. 10, 1758, 109. 

 Quiscalus quiscula Jordan, Manual of the Vertebrates, ed. 4, 1884, 93. 

 (B 431, C 225, E 278, C 335, U 511.) 



Geographical range: Atlantic coast regions of the United States; from southern 

 Connecticut and southeastern New York south to southern South Carolina; west to the 

 eastern slopes of the Alleghany Mountains. In winter to Florida. 1 



The Purple Grackle, also called the "Purple Crow Blackbird," or simply 

 "Crow Blackbird," is one of the best known and most familiar birds of the 

 localities which it inhabits. In the northern parts of its range it is migratory, 

 departing usually in the beginning of October for its winter home in our South- 

 ern States, where it congregates in immense flocks in suitable localities, while 

 in the more southern sections it is a resident throughout the year and breeds 

 wherever found. The birds that migrate usually return to their breeding 

 grounds early in March, and a few even in the latter part of February, when 

 then- arrival is readily noticed. Their peculiar, squeaky notes, consisting of a 

 variety of mostly indescribable sounds, such as "dweekh, dweekh, tchah, tchah, 

 quak, quak," or "dse, dse," which seem to be uttered with considerable difficulty, 

 and are invariably accompanied by the opening of the wings and tail, may be 

 heard any morning in early spring from the tree tops in rather open country, in 

 pastures, as well as in city parks. 



At this time of the year small companies, consisting of from twelve to fifteen 

 birds, are usually seen together, roving from place to place and chasing each 

 other about, in search of mates. Unfortunately, as in the case of many other 

 species, the Purple Grackle is not looked upon with favor by the average farmer, 

 and they are often shot in large numbers because they help themselves to a little 

 com when other food is scarce. Considered from an economic point of view 

 and judged by careful examinations made by the United States Department 

 of Agriculture of a number of stomachs of these birds killed during every 

 month of the year, it is shown that their food consists largely of animal matter, 

 such as grasshoppers, caterpillars, spiders, beetles, cutworms, larvae of different 

 insects, remains of small mammals, frogs, newts, crawfish, small mollusks, and 

 fish. While it must be admitted that Indian corn, oats, and wheat are also 

 eaten to some extent, much of the vegetable matter found in their stomachs 

 consists of the seeds of noxious weeds, such as the ragweed (Ambrosia), smart- 

 weed (Polygonum), and others. Fruit is used but sparingly, and consists usually 

 of mulberries, blackberries, and occasionally of cherries. One of the gravest 



'In defining the geographical ranges of our Grackles of the.subgenus Quiscalus I have mainly followed 

 Mr FTank M. Chapman's able paper-on this subject, published in the "Bulletin of the American Museum of 

 Natural History," New York (Vol. IV, No. 1), February, 1892, which contains the latest information on 

 this subject. This is one of the cases where it is impossible to define the ranges more closely, as the differ- 

 ent subspecies intergrade to a considerable extent where the breeding range of one race overlaps that of one 

 of the others. 



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