7f 
ICTERIDHC — THE ORIOLES. 
75 
Female dusky-brown, with a soft gloss ; a decided light superciliary stripe. 
Length, 10.00; wing, 5.30; tail, 4.40. Hab. Middle and Western Provinces 
of United States. (Brewer's Blackbird.') . . . var . cy anocephalus. 
Genus QUISCALTJS, Vieillot. (Page 74.) 
Nest on trees, sometimes in hollows. . Eggs greenish-white to rusty-brown ; 
coarsely and irregularly dashed and streaked with black and brown. 
Quiscalus ., 
1. Q. purpureus. Sexes nearly similar in plumage. Color black ; each species 
glossed with different shades of bronze, purple, violet, green, etc. Lateral tail- 
il feathers about .75 the length of central. Hab. Eastern United States. Pro- 
portion of wing to tail variable. ( Crow Blackbird.) 
a. Body uniform brassy.-olive without varying tints. Head and neck steel- 
blue, more violaceous anteriorly. 
Length, 13.50; wing, 5.50 to 5.65; tail, 5.70 to 5.80, its graduation, 
1.50 ; culmen, 1.35 to 1.40. Vivid blue of the neck all round abruptly 
defined against the brassy-olive of the body. Female. Wing, 5.20 ; tail, 
4.85 to 5.10. ’ Hab. Interior portions of North America, from Texas 
and Louisiana to Saskatchewan and Hudson’s Bay Territory ; New 
England States ; Fort Bridger-, Wyoming Territory. (Bronzed Black- 
bird.) . . . . . . . . . . var. ceneus. 
b. Body variegated with purple, green, and blue tints. Head and neck 
violaceous-purple, more blue anteriorly. 
Length, 12.50; wing, 5.60; tail, 5.30, its graduation, 1.20; culmen, 
1.32. Dark purple of neck all round passing over the breast, and 
appearing in patches on the lower parts. Wing and tail purplish ; tail- 
coverts reddish-purple. Female. Wing, 5.10 ; tail, 4.50. Hab. Atlan- 
tic coast of United States. (Purple Blackbird.) . . var. purpureus. 
Length, 11.75; wing, 4.85 to 5.60; tail, 4.60 to 5.50, its graduation, 
.90 ; culmen, 1.38 to 1.66. Dark purple of neck sharply defined against 
the dull blackish olive-green of the body. Wings and tail greenish- • 
blue ; tail-coverts violet-blue. Female. Wing, 4.65 to 4.90 ; tail, 3.80 
to 4.60. Hab. South Florida ; resident. (Florida Blackbird.) var. a glee us . 
Megaquiscalus. 
2. M. major. Tail longer than wings. Sexes very unlike. Female much smaller, 
and very different in color, being olivaceous- brown, lightest beneath. Male 
without varying shades of color ; lateral tail-feather about .60 the middle, or less. 
Culmen strongly decurved terminally ; bill robust. Female with back, 
nape, and crown like the wings; abdomen much darker than throat. 
Lustre of the plumage green , passing into violet anteriorly on head and neck. 
Length, 15.00; wing, 7.50; tail, 7.70, its graduation, 2.50; culmen, 
1.60. Female. Wing, 5.10. Hab. South Atlantic and Gulf coast of 
United States. (Boat-tailed Grakle.) var. major. 
Lustre , violet passing into green posteriorly. 
Length, 14.00; wing, 6.75; tail, 7.20, its graduation, 2.40; culmen, 
1.57. Female. Wing, 5.30; tail, 5.00. Hab. Western Mexico. (Mazat- 
lan, Colima, etc.). (Swamp Grakle.) . . . . t var. p alustri s . 
