220 SWAMP SPARROW. 
has created nothing in vain? and that it is the duty of man, the lord 
of the creation, to avail himself of their usefulness, and guard against 
their bad effects, as securely as possible, without indulging in the 
barbarous and even impious wish for their utter extermination ? 
The Purple Grakle is twelve inches long, and eighteen in extent ; 
on a slight view, seems wholly black, but placed near, in a good light, 
the whole head, neck, and breast, appear of arich glossy steel blue. 
dark violet, and silky green; the violet prevails most on the head and 
breast, and the green on the hind part of the neck. The back, rump, 
and whole lower parts, the breast excepted, reflect a strong coppery 
gloss; wing-coverts, secondaries, and coverts of the tail, rich light 
violet, in which the red prevails; the rest of the wings, and rounded 
tail, are black, glossed with steel blue. All the above colors are ex- 
tremely shining, varying as differently exposed to the light; iris of 
the eye, silvery; bill, more than an inch long, strong, and furnished 
on the inside of the upper mandible with a sharp process, like the 
stump of the broken blade of a penknife, intended to assist the bird in 
macerating its food ; tongue, thin, bifid at the end, 4nd lacerated along 
the sides. . 
The female is rather less, has the upper part of the head, neck, and 
the back, cf a dark sooty brown; chin, breast, and belly, dull pale 
brown, lightest on the former; wings, tail, lower parts of the back 
and vent, black, with a few reflections of dark green; legs, feet, bill, 
and eyes, as in the male. : 
The Purple Grakle is easily tamed, and sings in confinement. They 
have also, in several instances, been taught to articulate some few 
words pretty distinctly. 
A singular.attachment frequently takes place between this bird and 
the Fish Hawk. The nest of this latter is of very large dimensions, 
often from three to four feet in breadth, and from four to five feet 
high; composed, externally, of large sticks, or fagots, among the in- 
terstices of which sometimes three or four pairs of Crow Blackbirds 
will construct their nests, while the Hawk is sitting or hatching 
above. Here each pursues the duties of incubation and of rearing 
their young ; living in the greatest harmony, and mutually watching 
and protecting each other’s property from depredators. 
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SWAMP SPARROW.—FRINGILLA PALUSTRIS.— Fic. 100. * 
Passer palustris, Bartram, p. 291.— Peule’s Museum, No. 6569. 
ZONOTRICHIA PALUSTRIS—Janvinz.* 
Fringilla palustris, Bonap. Synop. p. 111.— The Swamp Sparrow, Awd. pl. 64, 
male; Orn. Biog. i. p. 331. 
Tuer history of this obscure and humble species is short, and unin- 
teresting. Unknown or overlooked by the naturalists of Europe, it is 
* The four species figured in Nos. 100, 101, 102, and 103, will pomt out the 
form which Mr. Swainson has designated as above. Of these, the present and 
Vo 
