1871.] 205 , [Brewer. 



Dr. T. M. Brewer presented, from the Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion, two forms of the Quiscalus, (crow-blackbird,) and ex- 

 hibited a third form of the same. They are species or races 

 of the Q. versicolor. The exact distribution of these vari- 

 eties is not fully determined. The common Q. purpureus is 

 an Eastern species, confined to the belt between the Alle- 

 ghanies and the Atlantic. At the West, from Texas to 

 Canada, it is replaced by the Q. ceneus, which has a more 

 brilliant violet hue on the head, throat, breast and upper 

 neck, while the rest is of a fine bronze color. This species 

 (or race) extends through Northern New York to Calais, 

 Maine. Both species, probably, occur in Massachusetts, the 

 purpureus resident and the ceneus migratory. In Florida 

 the purpureus is replaced by a smaller race, its miniature in 

 all respects, except the bill, which is much larger. This is 

 Q. aglaius. 



He also called the attention of the Society to the interest 

 attaching to the specimen of Erismatura Dominica, the 

 gift of Mr. Thure Kumlien of Busseyville, Wisconsin. It is 

 a South American bird, and this specimen is the second ob- 

 tained in the United States. The first was shot at Lake 

 Champlain, — a male, and was presented to the Society by Dr. 

 Samuel Cabot. This specimen, the second ever obtained 

 north of Mexico, was shot at Rock River, Busseyville, Wis- 

 consin, November, 1870. It is a female; its total length is 

 fourteen inches ; alar extent, twenty and one-half inches ; 

 wing, five and one-half inches. The tail consists of twenty 

 very narrow feathers, of which the first is the shortest. The 

 tail extends only three inches beyond the folded wings. Bill 

 'One and six-sixteenths inches from base to tip above ; one 

 and nine-sixteenths depth at base and three-fourths of an inch 

 wide. Wing with second primary longest ; third and first 

 even. Iris, brown. 



The Nominating Committee reported a list of officers for 

 the ensuing year. 



