282 BIRDS OF WESTERN AND 



101. Quiscalus major \ax. palustris (Sw.). 

 Mazatlan, Grayson. 



"I was not aware until I saw Mr. Cassin's desciiption (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phil., 1866, p. 411) that two 

 species existed in the Mazatlan region. I always supposed those with brownish thighs {Q. palustris) to be 

 young birds in immature plumage. I have examined a good many, and all with brown thighs appeared to 

 me to be young birds of the year, and the adult birds answering to the description of Q. tenuirostris, having 

 the thighs blue-black like the rest of the under parts, without a shade of brown. Mr. Cassin, however, is 

 doubtless correct, and Mr. Swainson's discovery of the same bird in the valley of Mexico, and describing it as 

 a distinct species, is a strong support to Mr. Cassin's conclusion. I shall endeavor, however, to throw as much 

 light as possible upon the subject, by a more careful observation in future, in order that the facts may be 

 entirely set at rest in ray mind. 



" It is a ' close shave ' in determining some of these nearly allied species. Q. major and our present bird, 

 Q. palustris, are very much alike, as well as Q. tenuirostris, all inhabiting the lower countries. A still larger 

 Boat-tailed Grackle (Q. macrourus Sw.) is quite common near Guadalajara, living most of the time in the 

 in-igated gardens and orchards, where I found them breeding among the orange trees. 



" Q. palustris is very common in the coast region of Mazatlan, where it is seen in flocks frequenting the 

 marshes on the Esteros, in search of small crabs and water insects. Many of them, however, take up their 

 abode in the towns and villages, and become very docile ; they are there attracted by the grains of waste 

 maize, and the refuse crumbs and meats thrown from the dwellings. In the town of San Bias they are so 

 numerous and domestic as to be a nuisance, often entering the houses and carrying off whatever kind of pro- 

 vision they can find, meat as well as grain. At the hotel where I was stopping in that town, it was necessary 

 to keep a servant watching the table, whilst the meals were being prepared, to keep them from demolishing 

 the tortillas and beans. In the city of Mazatlan, about twenty congregate in front of my window to receive 

 their daily bi-ead, a few crumbs of which I throw to them every morning. 



" They always build their nests in communities, selecting a grove of ordinary sized trees, usually near some 

 fresh water Mgoon, and sometimes in the trees that ornament the .dwellings of the natives. The nests are 

 placed in the topmost branches, and are composed of coarse grass and roots externally, and plastered inside 

 with cow-dung or mud. The eggs are usually five, of a pale blue color, with numerous zigzag marks of black." 



Probably Col. Grayson's first conclusion was right in considering the birds found at 

 Mazatlan with blue thighs and with brown ones, as different ages of the same species, viz., 

 Q. palustris. Unfortunately the promised further investigation was prevented by his pre- 

 mature death. It is therefore desirable that specimens of the Quiscalus with blue-black 

 thighs, from the vicinity of Mazatlan, should be examined, that its triie position may be 

 ascertained ; three male specimens of Q. palustris in the collection have their thighs dark 

 brown. 



Col. Grayson erroneously quotes Mr. Cassin as stating that Q. tenuirostris has the thighs 

 blue-black, and as being found at Mazatlan. Mr. Cassin gives no special locality, only 

 " from Mexico," and does not give the color of the tibia. However, Swainson says, " in- 

 habits the marshes adjoining Mexico." And on an examination of Q. tenuirostris in the 

 Philadelphia Academy, I found the thighs to be of an ochreous brown, much lighter than 

 those of Q. palustris, which are of a very dark brown ; its occurrence at Mazatlan, per- 

 haps, may be considered to be doubtful. 



The brown thighs, therefore, will not answer as a distinguishing character for Q. palus- 

 tris, the fact of Q. tenuirostris also having them brown, seems to have escaped the observa- 

 tion of Mr. Cassin. 



Mr. Cassin has strangely erred in giving the feet of Q. tenuirostris as black, instead of 

 which the tarsi and toes are of a clear brownish-red, and the claws brown ; the tarsi, toes 

 and claws of Q. palustris are black, but these Mr. Ca,'sin has not noticed. 



