298 
GREAT CROW BLACKBIRD. 
mouth, is one inch and three quarters, and its colour, like that 
of the feet, is black ; the roof of the mouth is furnished with a 
slight osseous carina ; the irides are pale yellow. The general 
appearance of the bird is black ; the whole head and neck 
having bluish purple reflections ; the interscapular region, 
breast, belly, sides, and smaller wing-coverts, are glossy steel 
blue ,* the back, rump, and middling wing-coverts, are glossed 
with copper green ; the vent, inferior tail-coverts, and thighs, 
are plain black. The undescribed parts of the wings are deep 
black, slightly glossed with green, as well as the tail, which is 
cuneiform, capable of assuming a boat-shaped appearance, and 
measures nearly eight inches in length from its insertion, sur- 
passing the tip of the wings by five inches. 
The female is considerably shorter, measuring only twelve 
and a half inches in length, and seventeen inches and a half in 
extent. The bill, from the angle of the mouth, is one inch 
and a half long, and, with the feet, is black ; the irides are of 
a still paler yellow than those of the male. The head and neck 
above are light brown, gradually passing into dusky towards 
the back, which, with the scapulars and lesser wing-coverts, 
has slight greenish reflections ; a whitish line passes from the 
nostrils over the eye, to the origin of the neck. The chin, 
throat, and breast, are dull whitish; the anterior part of the 
breast is slightly tinged with brownish ; the flanks are brown- 
ish ; the belly brownish white ; and the vent and inferior tail- 
coverts are blackish brown, each feather being margined with 
pale. The remaining parts are of a dull brownish black, 
slightly glossed with greenish ; the secondaries, tail-coverts, 
and tail feathers, having a slight banded appearance, which is 
equally observable in the male. 
The young at first resemble the female, but have the irides 
brown, and the males gradually acquire the brilliant plumage 
of the adult. 
The great and common crow blackbirds are both alike dis- 
tinguished by the very remarkable boat-like form of the tail, 
but the great difference of size, appearance of the females. 
