THE RUSTY GRAKLE. 67 



Redwings, Common Crow Blackbirds, and Cow Buntings, in committing 

 depredations on the corn-fields. 



The eggs of this species measure one inch in length, five and a half eighths 

 in breadth. Their ground-colour is pale blue, marked sparingly with 

 blotches of brownish-black, and others more numerous of pale purplish-grey, 

 the former disposed round the large end, the latter over the whole surface. 



Rusty Grakle, Gracula ferruginea, Wils. Amer. Orn., vol. iii. p. 41. 



Q,uiscalus ferrugineus, Bonap. Syn., p. 55. 



Scolecophagus ferrugineus, Rusty Maggot-eater, Swains, and Rich. F. Bor. Amer., 



vol. ii. p. 286. 

 Rusty Blackbird, Quiscalus ferrugineus , Nutt. Man., vol. i. p. 199. 

 Rusty Grakle, Quiscalus ferrugineus, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. ii. p. 325; vol. v. p. 483. 



Male, 9-|, 14|. 



From Texas to Maryland, and along the Mississippi and Ohio to Ken- 

 tucky, during winter. Migrates northward to the Fur Countries, and to the 

 Columbia river, in summer. Common. 



Adult Male. 



Bill of moderate length, straight, tapering, compressed from the base; 

 upper mandible prolonged on the forehead, forming an acute angle there, a 

 little declinate at the tip, the dorsal outline slightly convex, the sides convex, 

 the edges sharp and inflected; lower mandible nearly straight in its dorsal 

 outline, convex on the sides, the edges sharp and inflected; gap-line deflected 

 at the base. Nostrils basal, oval, half closed above by a membrane. Head 

 of ordinary size, neck rather short, body rather slender. Feet of moderate 

 length, strong; tarsus compressed, with a few long scutella anteriorly, sharp 

 behind; toes compressed, the lateral nearly equal, the outer united as far as 

 the second joint to the middle, which is much longer, hind-toe not much 

 stouter than the inner; claws rather long, arched, compressed, very acute. 



Plumage soft, blended, glossy. Wings rather long, second quill longest, 

 first and fourth equal. Tail rather long, slightly rounded, of twelve broad 

 feathers. 



Bill and feet black. Iris pale yellow. The general colour is deep black, 

 with greenish and bluish reflections. 



Length 9\ inches, extent of wings 14i|; bill along the back f , along the 

 edge -i|; tarsus 1 \. 



Adult Female. 



Bill, iris and feet as in the male. The general colour is brownish-black; 

 the sides of the head over the eyes, and a broad band beneath it light y ellow- 

 ish-brown, the feathers of the lower parts more or less margined with 

 brownish. 



