148 
QUISCALUS VERSICOLOR. 
QUISCALUS VERSICOLOR. 
Purple G-rackle. Crow Blackbird. 
Quiscalus versicolor Vieill, Analyse; 1816. 
Quiecalus agelems Baird, Amer. Jour. Sci. and Arts, XLI, 87; 1866. 
Quiscalus ceneus Ridgway, Proc. Phil. Acad. Nat. Sci.; 1869, 135. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Sp. Ch. Form, robust. Size, quite large. Feet, stout. Tongue, long, somewhat fleshy, but thin and horny for the 
terminal fourth, bifid, and provided with fine, terminal cilia which extends along the sides of the horny portion. Blue in 
color, black at tip. Sternum, not very stout. 
Color. Adult male. Uniform lustrous black throughout with bluish and greenish reflections on the head, neck, and 
upper breast. The remainder of the body is bronzy with violet reflections on the wings and tail. Eyelids, dark-brown. 
Iris, white. Bill and feet, black. 
Adult female. Uniform, dull brownish-black throughout, With greenish reflections on the head and with bluish on the 
wings and tail. Bill, feet, and iris as in the male. 
Young of the year. Similar to the adult female but the males show some of the bright reflections, but the females are 
much duller. 
Nestlings. Uniform dark-brown, darkest on the wings and tail, where there is a slight gloss of violet. There is a yel¬ 
lowish overwashing beneath, where there are indications of dusky streakings. Iris, dark slaty-blue. Bill and feet brown. 
The wing and tail feathers are moulted. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
There is a great amount of variation in skins from different localities. Birds from New England besides being quite 
large in size have usually, though not always, the bluish-green reflections of the head ending in a well defined line on the 
neck, and the wings are uniform in coloration. Birds from Florida differ from this in being beautifully varigated on the 
wings, back, sides, and rump, with bronze and violet reflections, while the head is of a purer blue, and specimens from the 
middle district rather combine the two patterns of coloration. I have, however, seen a perfect series of gradations in all 
respects and thus look upon the so-called species as given in the synonyms. The nestlings are at first much darker than 
those described, as seen by a male partly fledged which was kindly procured for me by the Bangs Brothers. Distributed 
in summer throughout Eastern North America from the Arctic Circle to the Gulf of Mexico. Wintering in the more south¬ 
ern portions. 
DIMENSIONS. 
Average measurements of fifteen male specimens from New England. Length, 12-62; stretch, 17-73; wing, 6'G5; tail, 
5-.30; bill, 1*75; tarsus, 1-25. Longest specimen, 13-20; greatest extent of wing, 18-42; longest wing, 6*05; tail, 6'09; bill, 
P60; tarsus, U30. Shortest specimen, 12-00; smallest extent of wing, 17-10; shortest wing, 5'22; tail, 4-58; bill, P45; 
tarsus, 1"09. 
Average measurements of nine female specimens from New England. Length, 11-45; stretch, 15-76; wing, 4*95; tail, 
4-52; bill, 1*45; tarsus, 1’20. Longest specimen, 12-00; greatest extent of wing, 16-30; longest wing, 5-22; tail, 4 - 89; bill, 
P55; tarsus, U25. Shortest specimen, 1P00; smallest extent of wing, 15-30; shortest wing, 4 - 62; tail, 4-10; bill, 1"40; tar¬ 
sus, 1"15. 
Average measurements of twenty male specimens from Florida. Length, 12-14; stretch, 16-12; wing, 4-94; tail, 4 - 82; 
bill, P25; tarsus, 1'22. Longest specimen, 12-50; greatest extent of wing, 17-30; longest wing, 5'55; tail, 5 05; bill, P30; 
tarsus, P30. Shortest specimen, 11"00; smallest extent of wing, 15"49; shortest wing, 4"40; tail, 4"09; bill, 1*20; tarsus, 
1-08. 
Average measurements of twenty female specimens from Florida. Length, 11* 14; stretch, I4"09; wing, 5"20; tail, 
4-86; bill, -98; tarsus, 1‘22. Longest specimen, 11-75; greatest extent of wing, 15-49; longest wing, 5-52; tail, 5 - 24; bill, 
"82; tarsus, 1*25. Shortest specimen, lO'OO; smallest extent of wing, I3"54; shortest wing, 4’75; tail, 4"24; bill, 1"22; tarsus, 
-99. 
DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 
Nests, placed in trees and bushes. They are large, compact structures composed of coarse grass and weeds mixed with 
mud and moulded into form, lined with fine grass. Dimensions: external diameter, 7-00, internal, 3"45. External depth, 
4-50, internal, 3’50. 
Eggs, from four to five in number, oval in form, pale-blue in color, spotted, blotched and lined with brown and umber. 
The lines are seldom well defined on the edges, and the ground color is often clouded, being sometimes completely obscured 
with brownish washing. Some specimens are uniformly dotted throughout. Dimensions from l-30x - 90 to l-09x"86. 
