QUISCALUS VERSICOLOR. 
58 
name employed by Wilson being non' rendered in* 
missible by the generic change, we have thought prop 1 * 
to adopt a local appellation. 
The female common crow blackbird is eleven i i'* , ; 
in length, and sixteen and a half in extent. The bin 1 
nearly an inch and a half long, and, as well as the f e< , 
black; the irides are yellowish white; the whole b<*|j 
neck, and upper part of the breast, are blackish, , 
steel blue, green and violet reflections, which arc I ’ 1 ' 
so vivid as in the male. The general colour of the bo- 
wings, and tail, is deep sooty brown ; the feather* ‘ 
the back are margined with coppery and purpl'-' 
the rump, tail-coverts, and wing-coverts are gW* 
with purplish ; the lower part of the breast and fla 11 
have a coppery reflection ; the inferior tail-coverts J 
obscurely glossed with violet. The tail is ciineif" 1 ' 
but slightly concave in flight, and is five inches 1*7 
extending two and a half inches beyond the tip of * 
wings ; the feathers are glossed with very obs* 11 
greenish. In the male, the tail is also cuneiform, 1,1 
greatly concave, exhibiting a singular boat-sM. 
appearance, as in the preceding species, and even m 9 
remarkably so, according to Mr Ord, which indu ,r 
him to change the name. , 
We shall not attempt to make any additions to ** 
almost complete, and very excellent history of *' 
species, given by Wilson : but as the four specie 9 , 
quiscalus are liable to be confounded, we shall pro 1 * 1 ' 
to give a few comparative observations, that the stud 1 
may be enabled to distinguish them from each otbe 1 ': 
Amongst other remarkable traits, the Quiscalus 
rugineus is at once known in all its various state*. 
its even tail, and comparatively smaller bill, 
somewhat resembles that of a thrush. In addition. 
the characters drawn from its dimensions, the Quis 1 '' 1 , 
versicolor can always be distinguished from its conge* - 
by the- slight difference in size and colour between 
sexes ; while, in the other species, the males and fen 1 ' 1 ;, 
are remarkably dissimilar : the mouth of this spec 11 ’* 
moreover, armed with a prominent osseous cari 11 ' 1 ’ 
