About the House. 49 



There are three kinds of Crow Blackbirds in the Eastern United 

 States. They are large, conspicuous birds, black in color with varying iri- 

 descent shades of metallic lustre on their coat. Their eyes are yellow. 

 They are closely allied, and, grading into each other, are not specifically dis- 

 tinct, but form three geographical races. They vary in size from twelve to 

 rather more than thirteen inches in length. The females are rather duller 

 than the males, lacking much of their iridescent brilliancy. They breed in 

 communities, often in pines or other evergreen trees, well up from the ground, 

 but sometimes their nests are placed in bushes or in holes in trees. 



The nest is a large structure, built of mud and grass and lined with finer 

 grasses. From three to six bluish green eggs are laid, which are spotted and 

 marked with zigzag lines of varying shades of brown. 



In the lower Mississippi Valley and east of the Alleghanies from Geor- 

 gia to Massachusetts, the Purple Grackle is the representative of the trio in 

 the breeding season. The general tone of the male bird 

 F'urple uracKle. j^ j^strous purple with bluish green or steel blue sheen. 



Quiscalus quiscula CLinn.). _,, . . , , , l i ^1 



i he rump is greenish purple or clear purple and the 

 feathers of this region show defined iridescent barring. 



The smallest of these three races of Crow Blackbirds is the Florida 

 Grackle. It is found in Florida and the southern part of the, Gulf States to 



d -J /- II Texas. On the Atlantic coast it ranges as far north as 



Florida Grackle. ^ , t i ■ ■ i i • 



Quiscaiusquiscuiaagiaus the Carolinas. In this face, the entire head is metallic 



(Baird). purple with a violet sheen, which color extends back on the 



neck and above to the breast below. The general color of the back and rump 



is iridescent green, the latter region showing traces of iridescent barring. The 



feathers of the shoulders frequently have iridescent tips. 



The Bronzed Grackle is nearly the same size as the Purple Grackle. 



East of the Alleghany Mountains, it breeds from Southern New England to 



B ed G a kle Newfoundland, west of the Alleghanies from Texas to 



Quiscalus quiscula aneus Vjrrcat olave Lake. 



(Ridgw.). 'pj^g head an<i. back colors are much the same as in 



the Purple Grackle, but the body color is. bronze with a metallic sheen and no 

 iridescent bars at any point. 



