362 BIRDS — ICTERID^. 



Quiscalus purpureus, Lichtknstbin. 



Quiscalus versicolor, Vibillot, Nouv. Diet., xxviii, 1819, 488. 



Quiscalus purpureus, var. wneu's, Baird, Brbwbr and KidG'Way, N. Am. Birds, ii, 1874, 

 218. 



Metallic tints rich, deep, and uniform. Head and neck all tt)und rich silky steel-hlne, 

 this strictly confined to these portions, and abrnptly deinned 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, En- 

 tire bod.y, above and below, uniform continuous metallic brassy-olive, varying to burn- 

 ished golden olivaceous-broDze, becoming gradually uniform metallic purplish or red- 

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

 and toes pure black, iris snlphur-yellow. 



Length, 12.50 to 13.50; wing, 6.00; tail, 6.00; culmen, 1.26; tarsus, '.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.) 



I give above the nomenclature and description of Mr. Kidgway, who separates the 

 Crow Blackbirds of the Mississippi Valley from those of the Atlantic slope into varieties 

 wneus aiid purpureus. The points of difference are the color, which in var. purpureas is 

 variegated purple, blue, and violet on the body ; size, ceneus being larger ; and propor- 

 tion, the first quill in purpureus nearly equal to second and i.hird, which are longest, 

 and ihe tail is proportionally less graduated. 



Habitat, Mississippi region of the United States, east to the Allegheny Mountains, west 

 to Fort Bridger; Saskatchewan Region, Hudson's Bay Territory. Maine. Mort3 or less 

 abundant in all eastern States north of Now Jersey. 



Abundant summer resident from March to November. Breeds. Pound 

 everywhere, but is especially numerous in sycamore groves along streams, 

 and in oak woodland. The habits of this bird are almost too well know^n 

 to require further notice. The prejudice which, with or without cause, 

 existed against them is apparently dying out, and they are less system- 

 atically persecuted than formerly. None of our birds present a more . 

 beautiful appearance than does the Blackbird in his stately walk over 

 the lawn in search of his insect food. He has one bad habit, that of 

 robbing the nests of smaller birds. I have repeatedly seen them destroy 

 the nest and eggs of the Chipping Sparrow, built in my own garden. 

 This appeared to be from mere love of mischief, as they were not content 

 with destroying the eggs but returned to demolish the nest, and again 

 pulled to pieces the half finished nest which the birds rebuilt. 



The nest of the Crow Blackbird is built either on trees or in cavities. 

 Misses Jones and Shultz give as an illustration a nest " built in a grove of 

 thorn trees, in a piece of wet grass land not far from Columbus," a spot 

 frequented by a colony of these birds. In former years these birds com- 

 monly nested in clumps of ornamental evergreens, and in large elm trees 

 in the city, and these nests were generally placed in the branches of the 

 trees and were often quite exposed. Now, however, by far the greatest 



