GREAT CROW BLACKBIRD. IQ! 
GREAT CROW BLACKBIRD. (Quitscalus major.) 
PLATE IV.—Fie. 1, MALE; Fic. 2, FEMALE, 
Quiscalus major, Vieill. Nowv. Dict. @ Hist. Nat. xxviii. p. 487.—Gracula quis- 
cala, Ord, Journ. Acad. Nat. Sc. Philad. i. p. 253.—Gracula barita, Wilson, 
Am. Orn. vi. Index, p. 8.—Gracula quiscala, the Purple Jackdaw of the sea- 
coast, Bartram, Travels, p. 290.—Corvus Mexicanus? Gimel. Syst. i. p. 375, 
sp. 42.—Lath. Ind. p. 164, sp. 36, male.—Corvus zanoe? Gimel. Syst. i. p. 
375, sp. 44.—Lath. Ind. p. 164, sp. 37, female.— Pica Mexicana major? Briss, 
Av. ii. p. 43, sp. 4, male.—Pica Mexicana minor? Briss. Av. ii. p. 44, sp. 5, 
female.—L’Hocizana? Buff. Ois. iii. p. 103, male.—Le Zanoé? Buff. Ois. iii. 
p. 106, female.—Mexican Crow? Lath. Syn. i. p. 396, sp. 34, male.—Lesser 
Mexican Crow? Lath. Syn. i. p. 397, sp. 36, female.—Hocitzanatl, seu Magnus 
Sturnus? Hernand. Hist. An. Nov. Hisp.p. 21, male.—Tzanahoei? Hernand. 
Hist. An. Nov. Hist. p. 22, female.—Hoitzanatl? Ray, Syn. Av. p. 162, 
male. —Tzanahoei, seu Pica Mexicana Hernandezii? Ray, Syn. Av. p. 162, 
female.— Philadelphia Museum, No. 1582, male ; No. 1583, female. 
QUISCALUS MAJOR.—VIEILLOT. 
Quiscalus major, Bonap. Synop. p. 54. 
-No part of natural history has been more confused than that 
relating to North and South American birds of black plumage; 
which is by no means surprising, when we recollect that they 
are chiefly destitute of coloured markings, and that the 
ereater number of admitted species are founded on the short 
and inexact descriptions of travellers who have neglected to 
observe their forms, habits, and characters. But little aid has 
been derived from the wretched plates hitherto given, for they 
seem better suited to increase the confusion than to exemplify 
the descriptions to which they are annexed, and every suc- 
ceeding compiler has aggravated, rather than diminished, this 
complication of error. It is, therefore, solely. by a studious 
attention to nature, that we can extricate these species from 
the uncertainty involving them, and place them in a distinct 
and cognisable situation. With these views we now give a 
faithful representation of both sexes of the great crow black- 
bird, drawn by that zealous observer of nature, and skilful 
artist, Mr John J. Audubon, and hope thereby to remove all 
doubt relative to this interesting species. 
