GREAT CROW BLACKBIRD. 193 
which he gives new descriptions, indicates stable characters, 
and adds an account of their respective habits; but in attempt- 
ing to correct Wilson, he has unfortunately misapplied the 
names. In this instance he should not have charged Wilson 
with error, who is certainly correct in regard to the species he 
published ; and even had this been doubtful, he who so well 
described and figured the common crow blackbird ought to have 
been followed by ornithologists. Therefore, notwithstanding, 
Mr Ord’s decision, we consider the guiscala of Wilson unques- 
tionably the true qguiscala of authors. This is so obvious, that 
it is unnecessary to adduce any evidence in support of our 
opinion, which, indeed, is sufficiently afforded by Mr Ord’s 
paper itself. 
It is impossible to decide with certainty what bird authors 
intended to designate by their Gracula barita ; but after a 
careful review of the short and unessential indications, re- 
pective synonyms, and habitat given by different writers, we 
feel assured that they have not referred to one and the same 
species. Thus the barita of Linné is a species not found in 
the United States, but common in the West Indies, called 
Icterus niger by Brisson, and afterwards Oriolus niger by 
Gmelin and Latham; the barzta of Latham, his boat-tailed 
grakle, is evidently the same with the quiscala ;* Gmelin’s 
barita is taken parily from that of Linné, and partly from the 
boat-tailed grakle of Latham, being compounded from both 
species: we shall not be at the trouble of deciphering the 
errors of subsequent compilers. 
Ornithologists are all at variance as to the classification of 
these species. Linné and Latham improperly,referred them to 
Gracula ; Daudin, with no better reason, placed them under 
Sturnus ; Temminck considers them as Jcteri, Cuvier as Cas- 
sict, and Vieillot has formed a new genus for their reception. 
I have no hesitation in agreeing with the latter author, and 
* It was probably by Latham that Mr Ord was led to misapply the 
names of the two species ; for, perceiving that the barita of that author 
was the quiscala, he inferred that the quiscala was the éarita. 
VOL, III. N 
