BEONZED GEAKLE ; CEOW-BLACKBIED. 361 



Oriolus ferrugineus, Gmelin, Syst. Nat., 1, 1788, 393. 



Quiscalus ferrugineus, Bonaparte, Obs. Wils., 1824, No. 46. 



Scoleoophagus ferrugineus, Swainson and Richardson, Fn. Bor.-Am., ii, 1831, '-'85. 



Male in summer Instrons black, the reflections greenish, and not noticeably different 

 on the head ; but not ordinarily found in this condition in the United States ; in general 

 glossy black, nearly all the feathers skirted with warm brown above, and browish yel- 

 low below, frequently continuous on the foreparts; the male of the first season, like 

 the female, is entirely rusty brown above, the inner quills edged with the same ; a pale 

 superciliary stripe ; bel»w, mixed rnsty and grayish black, the primaries and tail above 

 black ; bill and feet black at all times. Length, male about 9 ; wing 4i ; tail 3i ; bill 

 i ; female smaller. 



Habitat, Eastern Province of North America, west to Kansas, Nebraska and Dakota ; 

 thenoe obliquely in British America to the Pacific in Alaska. Breeds from Northern New 

 England northward. In winter generally dispersed over the Middle, Western and 

 Southern States. 



Common spring and fall migrant in March, April and October. In the 

 spring they appear usually in small flocks making their way north- 

 ward along streams and seldom seen at a distance from water. These are 

 in winter plumage or moulting; later, during April, a considerable num- 

 ber linger about ponds and swamps, and before leaving us acquire their 

 full breeding plumage. In the fall they have their rusty coats on their 

 arrival. 



Their nests are placed in low trees and bushes and the eggs are 

 described as measuring a little over an inch in length by three-fourths of 

 an inch in width. The ground color is light greenish or grayish, 

 thickly dotted with reddish- and purplish-brown, without streaks or 

 lines. 



Genus QUISCALUS. Vieillot. 

 Bill as long afl the head, stout. Wings in the male shorter than the long, conpicuously 

 graduated tail. 



Quiscalus pukpureus (Bart.) Licht. 

 var. ^NEus Ridgway. 



JBronzed G-rakle ; Cro-w Blaclrtaird. 



Quiscalus versicolor, Kirtland, Ohio Geolog. Surv., 1838, 162, 180.— Read, Fam. Visitor, 

 iii, 1853, 327 ; Proc. Phila. Acad. Nat. Sci., vi, 1853, 395.— Wheaton, Ohio Agrio. 

 Eep. for 1860, 367 ; Reprint, 1861, 9. 



Quiscalus purpureus, Whbaton, Food of Birds, etc.. Ohio Agric. Rep. for 1874, 567 ; Re- 

 print, 1875, 7.— Langdon, Cat. Birds of Cin., 1877, 10. 



Quiscalus purpureus, var. ceneus, Langdon, Revised List, Journ. Cin. Soo. Nat. Hist., 1, 

 1879, 177 ; Reprint, 11 ; Field Notes, ib, iii, 1880, 125. 



Ciow Blackbird, Kirtl^d, Fam. Visitor, i, 1850, 1.— Baixotj, Field and Forest, iii, 

 1878, 136. 



