246 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



of Elk lake, in the northern extremity of the Hudson valley, showing only 

 a slight admixture of the Purple grackle coloration, hence ranking as 

 aeneus. A specimen taken at Waterford, Saratoga county, now in the 

 State Museum, is evidently intermediate between the two subspecies. 

 At Athens, Pa., Chapman found the third phase intermediate of the Purple 

 grackle and the second phase of the Bronzed grackle. At Port Jervis 

 he found one intermediate and one aeneus. Thus it is evident that in 

 the Susquehanna and Delaware valleys the range of overlapping is about 

 the southern boundary of New York. In western New York north of 

 the Susquehanna divide I have seen nothing but typical Bronzed grackle 

 with an occasional specimen which shows a very slight tendency toward 

 q u i s c u 1 a . Thus we must assign the range of this subspecies as south- 

 eastern New York below the highlands ; but its intermediate forms are found 

 as far north as Saratoga county. On Staten Island, Long Island and the 

 immediate vicinity of New York City practically nothing but typical Pur- 

 ple grackle in one phase or another is found during the breeding season. 

 The Purple grackle arrives in this State from the 1 5th of February to the 

 loth of March, and departs from the loth to the 30th of November. 

 Breeding records range from April 20 to May 25. In habits and economic 

 importance this species does not differ from the Bronzed grackle which is the 

 more abundant subspecies in this State. In voice, however, Mr Ridgway 

 notices a difference, the note of the Purple grackle being less loud and 

 metallic. The nest and eggs are indistinguishable from those of the 

 Bronzed grackle. 



Quiscalus quiscula aeneus Ridgway 



Bronzed Grackle 



Plate 74 



Quiscalus aeneus Ridgway. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. PhUa. 1869. 134 

 Quiscalus versicolor DeKay. Zool. N. Y. 1844. pt 2, p. 136 (part) fig. 49 

 Quiscalus quiscula aeneus A. O. U. Check List. Ed. 3. 1910. p. 239. 



No. 511b 



aeneus, Lat., brassy, referring to the sheen of the body plumage 



Description. Longer and a little larger than the Robin; tail long, 

 rounded or wedge-shaped, frequently, especially in the nesting season, 



