BIRDS—ICTERIDAE—QUISCALUS VERSICOLOR. 
555 
QUISCALUS MAJOR, Vieill. 
Boat-tailed Grakle; Jackdaw. 
Gracula barita, Wilson, Index Am. Orn. VI, 1812, (not of Linnaeus.) 
Gracula quiscala, Ord. J. A. N. Sc. I, 1818, 253, (not of Linnaeus.) 
Quiscalus major, Vieillot, Nouv. Diet. XXVIII, 1819, 487.— Bon. Am. Orn. I, 1825, 35 ; pi. iv.— Ib. List, 1838.— 
Ib. Consp. 1850, 424.— Aud. Orn. Biog. It, 1834, 504: V, 1838, 480; pi. 187.— 1b. Syn. 1839, 
146.— Ib. Birds Amer. IV, 1842, 52 ; pi. 220. 
Chalcoplianes major, “ Temm.” Cabanis, Mus. Hein. 1851, 196. 
S P , Ch. —Bill longer than the head. Feathers of the crown stiff and coarse. Tail moderate, about equal to the wing, much 
graduated, the lateral feathers about 2.50 inches shortest. General color lustrous black ; the head, neck, and fore part of the 
breast glossed with purple, passing insensibly on the rest of the body to green. 
Length, about 15 inches ; wing, 7 ; tail, 7.25. Bill above 1.55. 
Hab. —Southern Atlantic and Gulf coast. Mouth of Rio Grande, Texas. 
A specimen from Brownsville, Texas, though associated there with M. macrourus, appears to 
possess all the characters of major. The loral region and space around the eye are quite hare of 
feathers. 
List of specimens. 
0 cl tell . 
No. 
Sex. 
Locality. 
When collected. 
Whence obtained. 
Orig. 
No. 
Length. 
Stretch 
of wings. 
Wing. 
Remarks. 
1932 
2381 
4923 
4044? 
Southern U. S._ 
S. F. Baird. 
s 
3 
Savannah, Ga._ 
1845. 
Amelia island, Fla. 
Brownsville, Tex... 
G. Wurdemann.. 
15. 00 
13.00 
22. 00 
19. 50 
7. 00 
G. 75 
Lt. Couch_ 
6 
Iris yellow_ 
QUISCALUS VERSICOLOR, Vieillot. 
Crow Blackbird; Purple Grakle. 
Gracula quiscala, Linn. Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 165.— Gmelin, I, 1788, 397.— Latham, [Ind. I, 1790, 191.— Wilson, 
Am. Orn. Ill, 1811, 44 ; pi. xxi, f. 4. 
Chalchophanes quiscalus, Wagler, Syst. Av. 1827, (Gracula.) — Cab. Mus. Hein. 1851, 196. 
? ? Oriolus ludovicianus, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 387 ; albino var. 
?? Oriolus niger, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 393. 
? Gracula purpurea, Bartram, Travels, 1791, 290. 
Quiscalus versicolor, Vieillot, Analyse? 1816.— Ib. Nouv. Diet. XXVIII, 1819, 488.— Ib. Gal. Ois. 1,171; pi. 
cviii.— Bon. Obs. Wils. 1824, No. 45.— Ib. Am. Orn. I, 1825, 45 ; pi. v.— Ib. List, 1838.—- 
Ib. Conspectus, 1840, 424.—Sw. F. Bor. Am. II, 1831, 485_ Nuttall, Man. 1, 1832, 194.—• 
Aud. Orn. Biog. I, 1831, 35 : V, 1838, 481 ; pi. vii-—Is. Syn. 1839, 146 .—Ib. Birds Amer. 
IV, 1842, 58 ; pi. 221. 
Gracula barita, Ord, J. A. N. Sc. I, 1818, 253. 
“ Quiscalus purpureus, Licht.” 
Quiscalus nitens, Liciit. Verz. 1823, No. 164. 
Quiscalus purpuratus, Swainson, Anim. in Menag. 1838, No. 55. 
Purple Grakle, Pennant, Arctic Zool. II. 
Sp. Ch. —Bill above, about as long as the head, more than twice as long as high ; the commissure moderately sinuated and 
considerably decurved at tip. Tail a little shorter than the wing, much graduated, the lateral feathers 1.10 inches shorter. 
Third quill longest; first between fourth and fifth. Head and neck all round well defined steel blue ; tlie rest of the body with 
