302 
FEMALE COMMON CROW BLACKBIRD. 
a thrush. In addition to the characters drawn from its dimen- 
sions, the Quiscalus versicolor can always be distinguished from 
its congeners, by the slight difference in size and colour be- 
tween the sexes ; while, in the other species, the males and 
females are remarkably dissimilar : the mouth of this species is, 
moreover, armed with a prominent osseous carina, a quarter of 
an inch long, which, in the others, is much smaller. That the 
Quiscalus major^ and Quiscalus haritus should have been con- 
founded together, is not a little surprising, as the former is 
sixteen inches long, the tail being eight inches, and extending 
five inches beyond the tip of the wings ; whilst the latter is 
only ten inches, the tail much less cuneiform, four inches and 
a half long, and extending but two inches beyond the tip of 
the wings ; the osseous carina is similar in these two species, 
and the markings of the females are much alike. From this 
statement, it is apparent, that the females of the largest and 
smallest crow blackbirds correspond in the disposition of their 
colours ; a parity that does not exist in the intermediate spe- 
cies. In comparative size, however, they differ considerably : 
the female of the haritus^ though smaller, as we have already 
stated, is, in proportion to its mate, considerably larger than 
that of the other, being only half an inch, whilst the female of 
the major is nearly four inches, smaller. 
The individual represented in the annexed plate, is a re- 
markably fine one, in the most perfect state of plumage. It 
therefore more strongly resembles the male than is usual with 
its sex, which are generally much less brilliant in colouring, 
and more sooty brown. This bird was obtained at Great Egg 
Harbour on the twenty-first of May, and was selected as the 
best female of several pairs, assembled to breed at one of the 
identical fish-hawk nests, in the interstices of which Wilson 
mentions having seen them building. One of their nests con- 
tained three eggs, and the species had not ceased to lay. 
These birds, as we have had occasion personally to observe, 
like most of the feathered tribes, are subject to become either 
wholly or partially albinos. From this circumstance, nume- 
