PURPLE GRAKLE. 
333 
PURPLE GRAKLE GRACULA QUISCALA. 
Plate XXI. Fig. 4. 
Linn. Syst. 165 La pie de la Jamaique, JBriss. ii. 41. — Buff. iii. 97, PL enl. 
538. Arct. Zool. p. 263, No. 153. — Gracula purpurea, the Lesser Purple Jack- 
daw, or Crow Blackbird, JBartram, p. 289. Peale's Museum, No. 1582. 
a UISCAL US VERSICOLOR. —Vieillot.* 
Quiscalus versicolor, Vieill. Gall, des Ois. pi. 108. Ponap. Synop. p. 54. — Purple 
Grakle, or, Common Crow Blackbird, Aud. pi. 7 ; Ora. Biog. i. p. 35. — Quiscalus 
versicolor, Common Purple Boat-tail, North. Zool. ii. p. 285* 
This noted depredator is well known to every careful 
farmer of the northern and middle states. About the 20th of 
March the Purple Grakles visit Pennsylvania from the south, 
fly in loose flocks, frequent swamps and meadows, and follow 
in the furrows after the plough ; their food at this season 
consisting of worms, grubs, and caterpillars, of which they 
destroy prodigious numbers, as if to recompense the husband- 
man beforehand for the havoc they intend to make among his 
crops of Indian corn. Towards evening, they retire to the 
nearest cedars and pine trees to roost, making a continual 
chattering as they fly along. On the tallest of these trees 
they generally build their nests in company, about the 
beginning or middle of April; sometimes ten or fifteen nests 
being on the same tree. One of these nests, taken from a 
high pine tree, is now before me. It measures full five inches 
in diameter within, and four in depth ; is composed outwardly 
* Gracula will be given exclusively to a form inhabiting India, of which, 
though one species only is described, I have every reason to believe that at 
least two are confounded under it. Quiscalus has been, on this account, taken, 
by Vieillot, for our present bird, and some others confined to America. There 
has been considerable confusion among the species, which has been satis- 
factorily cleared up by Bonaparte, and will be seen in the sequel of the 
work. The female is figured Plate V. of the continuation by the Prince of 
Musignano. — Ed. 
