THE BOAT-TAILED GRAKLE. 57 



long, 10^ twelfths in breadth; its muscular coat moderately thick, the right 

 lateral muscle 2 twelfths; the epithelium dense, tough, longitudinally rugous, 

 and dark brown. The intestine is of moderate length and width, the former 

 being 15 inches, the latter averaging 3 twelfths; the coeca an inch and a half 

 long. 



The trachea is 31 inches long, much flattened, from 3^ twelfths to 2|~ 

 twelfths in breadth; its rings about 70, very thin, with 2 dimidiate rings. 

 The bronchi are wide, of about 12 very slender cartilaginous half rings. The 

 lateral muscles are slender, as are the sterno-tracheal slips; and there are four 

 pairs of inferior laryngeal muscles. 



The digestive and respiratory organs of this bird do not differ materially 

 from those of the Crows, Starlings, and Thrushes, but the oesophagus having 

 a slight dilatation indicates some affinity to the Conirostres. 



Individuals of both sexes, but especially males, differ greatly in size, from 

 the time they obtain their full plumage until they are several years old, the 

 difference sometimes amounting to several inches in the length of the birds, 

 and affording an excellent opportunity of manufacturing new species. 



The Live Oak, Q,uercds virens, Willd., Sp. PL, vol. iv. p. 425. Pursh, Fl. Amer. 

 Sept., vol. ii. p. 626. — Moncecia Polyandria, Linn. — Amentace^e, Juss. 



The live oak attains a great size, spreading out its large arms to the 

 distance sometimes of twenty yards, but seldom reaching to a proportionate 

 height. Splendid avenues of this valuable tree are frequently seen in 

 Georgia, South Carolina, and many of the sea islands, leading to the planters' 

 houses. A few miles below New Orleans are some, probably centuries old, 

 which are the finest I have seen. I have not observed this tree far above the 

 city of Natchez on the Mississippi, nor farther eastward than the central 

 maritime parts of North Carolina. It prefers flat rich soils, and is rarely 

 found at any great distance from rivers or the sea-shore. The leaves are 

 evergreen, leathery, oblong-elliptical, obtuse at the base, acute at the tip, 

 with the edges revolute, and the lower surface downy; the cupule is turbi- 

 nate, with short scales; the acorn oblong, sweet, and to the taste of some 

 equal to the hazel-nut. 



Vol. IV. 



