PURPLE GRAKLE. 2 , 7 



333 



PURPLE GRAKLE. (Gracula quiscala.) 



PLATE XXI.— Fig. 4. 



Linn. Syst. 165.— La Pie de la Jamaique, Briss. ii. 41.— Buff. iii. 97, PI. enl. 538.— 

 Arct. Zool. p. 263, No. 153. —Gracula purpurea, the Lesser Purple Jackdaw, 

 or Crow Blackbird, Bartram, p. 289. — Peak's Museum, No. 1582. 



QULSCALUS VERSICOLOR.— Vieillot.* 



Quiscalus versicolor, Vieill. Gall, des Ois. pi. 108.— Bonap. Synop. p. 54.— Purple 

 Grakle, or Common Crow Blackbird, Aud. pi. 7, Orn. Biog. i. p. 35. — Quis- 

 calus versicolor, Common Purple Boat-tail, North. Zool. ii. p. 285. 



This noted depredator is well known to every careful farmer 

 of the northern and middle States. About the 20th of March 

 the purple grakles visit Pennsylvania from the south, fly in 

 loose flocks, frequent swamps and meadows, and follow in the 

 furrows after the plough ; their food at this season consisting 

 of worms, grubs, and caterpillars, of which they destroy pro- 

 digious numbers, as if to recompense the husbandman before- 

 hand for the havoc they intend to make among his crops 

 of Indian-corn. Towards evening, they retire to the nearest 

 cedars and pine trees to roost, making a continual chattering 

 as they fly along. On the tallest of these trees they generally 

 build their nests in company, about the beginning or middle 

 of April, sometimes ten or fifteen nests being on the same 

 tree. One of these nests, taken from a high pine tree, is now 

 before me. It measures full five inches in diameter within, 

 and four in depth ; is composed outwardly of mud, mixed 

 with long stalks and roots of a knotty kind of grass, and lined 



* Gracula will be given exclusively to a form inhabiting India, of 

 which, though one species only is described, I have every reason to 

 believe that at least two are confounded under it. Quiscalus has been, 

 on this account, taken by Vieillot for our present bird, and some 

 others confined to America. There has been considerable confusion 

 among the species, which has been satisfactorily cleared up by Bona- 

 parte, and will be seen in the sequel of the work. The female is figured 

 Plate V. of the continuation by the Prince of Musignano. — Ed. 



