THE CROW-BLACKBIRD. 
— Oracula quiscala of Wilson — twelve to thirteen inches long; glossy black, with metallic, vio> 
let, steel-blue, and green reflections -a^ow the head, neck, and breast ; green and blue reflectiona 
upon the wings and tail. It has a long, straight bill, with the nostrils placed in triangular grooves 
on each side of the base. The wings are pointed, and the hind toe is long, and armed with a 
strong curved claw. From the interior of the upper mandible a sharp, bony process descends into 
the mouth, resembling the broken blade of a penknife. This is supposed to assist in breaking up 
the food. The tail is long and graduated, with the sides curved upward, whence the name of 
BociJ-Tails has been given to this species. They range from the Gulf of Mexico to fifty degrees 
north. In the Southern States they are constant residents; in the Middle and Eastern States 
they are migratory. They appear in loose flocks in April, and, alighting upon the tall trees in 
the villages, utter a cheerful salutation, as if rejoiced to return to their native haunts. They breed 
in the orchards and cultivated grounds, making large nests of grass and mud upon trees, and lay- 
ing five or six dull green eggs, blotched with olive. They feed on grubs, caterpillars, moths, beetles, 
and grain of various kinds. They are great depredators upon the fields of Indian corn in all their 
stages, tearing up the planted seed as soon as the infant blade makes its appearance, and devouring 
the milky kernels upon the ears when they have thus far adA'anced toward maturity. Scarecrows 
t 
