Part 76

Male, 7-1/4, wing, 4-1/12.

Rocky Mountains, Columbia River, and California. Common. Migratory.

Xanthornus Bullockii, Swains. Syn. of Mex. Birds, Phil. Mag. 1827, p. 436.

Bullock's Troopial, Icterus Bullockii, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 9.

219. 3. Icterus spurius, Gmel. Orchard Hangnest.--Orchard Oriole.

Plate XLII. Male, Female, and Young.

Tail much rounded. Male with the head, neck, and fore part of the back, black; the rest of the body chestnut-red; quills and larger coverts black, the former margined, the latter tipped with greyish-white; tail-feathers black, tipped with dull white. Female with the head and upper parts dull yellowish-green, the fore part of the back tinged with brown; lower parts pale yellow; wings and tail greyish-brown, the feathers of the former margined with greyish-white, of the latter with yellowish-green. Young, like the female. Young males in various stages variously coloured.

Male, 6-1/2, 9.

From Texas to Connecticut, over the valley of the Mississippi, Kentucky, and Ohio. Abundant. Rare in Massachusetts and Maine. Missouri to the bases of the Rocky Mountains. Migratory.

Orchard Oriole, Oriolus mutatus, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. i. p. 64.

Icterus spurius, Bonap. Syn. p. 51.

Spurious or Orchard Oriole, Icterus spurius, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 165.

Orchard Oriole, Icterus spurius, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. i. p. 221; v. v. p. 485.

GENUS V. QUISCALUS, Vieill. CROW-BLACKBIRD.

Bill as long as the head or somewhat longer, nearly straight, strong, tapering, compressed from the base; upper mandible with its outline slightly declinate, a little convex, the ridge narrow at the base and encroaching a little on the forehead, afterwards broad, rounded, and indistinct, the sides convex, the edges sharp and direct, or slightly inflected, with a faint festoon anterior to the nostrils, the tip deflected, acute; lower mandible with the angle short and rounded, the dorsal line straight, slightly deflected at the end, the ridge convex, the sides rounded, the edges inflected, the tip very acute. Nostrils basal, oval, half-closed by a membrane. Head of moderate size, ovate, flattened above; neck of moderate length; body rather slender. Feet of moderate length; tarsus as long as the middle toe and claw, compressed, with eight anterior scutella; toes rather long, with large scutella, the hind toe stronger, the lateral toes nearly equal, the middle toe much longer. Claws rather long, slightly arched, compressed, not laterally grooved, acute. Plumage blended, highly glossed. Wings of moderate length, the second and third quills longest, the first and fourth little shorter. Tail long, graduated or rounded, the feathers flat or slightly concave, slightly emarginate, with the inner webs longer than the outer. Roof of the upper mandible concave with three longitudinal ridges, of which the middle is enlarged at the base and prominent; tongue slender, sagittate, concave above, tapering to a thin lacerated point; œsophagus rather wide, considerably dilated about the middle; stomach of moderate size, elliptical or roundish, moderately muscular, the lateral muscles distinct, the epithelium dense, horny, slightly rugous, with two roundish grinding surfaces; intestine of moderate length, rather wide; cœca very small; cloaca oblong.

220. 1. Quiscalus major, Vieill. Great Crow-Blackbird.--Boat-tailed Grakle.

Plate CLXXXVII. Male and Female.

Tail very long, graduated, with the feathers slightly concave above. Male with the plumage silky, splendent, the head and neck deep purplish-blue, the back, breast, and sides deep blue, passing into green behind, the rump bronzed black; the wings and tail black, glossed with green, the abdomen, lower tail-coverts, and tibial feathers, plain black. Female much smaller, with the tail shorter, the plumage unglossed beneath, and but slightly glossy above, the upper parts dusky, with slight tints of green and blue; the head and neck dull brown; the lower parts light yellowish-brown, the tibial feathers and lower tail-coverts dusky.

Male, 15-7/8, 23-3/4. Female, 12-5/8, 18.

Abundant from Texas to North Carolina along the coast. Up the Mississippi about 200 miles. Constantly resident.

Quiscalus major, Bonap. Syn. p. 54.

Great Crow Blackbird, Quiscalus major, Bonap. Amer. Orn. v. i. p. 35.

Great Crow Blackbird, Quiscalus major, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 192.

Boat-tailed Grakle or Great Crow Blackbird, Quiscalus major, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. ii. p. 504; v. v. p. 480.

221. 2. Quiscalus versicolor, Vieill. Common or Purple Crow-Blackbird.--Purple Grakle.

Plate VII. Male and Female.

Tail long, much rounded, with the feathers flat. Male with the plumage silky and splendent, the head, neck, and anterior part of the breast blackish, with vivid reflections of violet, steel-blue, and green; general colour of the body dusky, glossed with purple, green, and blue, these colours arranged in three terminal zones, on each feather; rump violet-purple; wings and tail black, glossed with green and blue. Female considerably smaller, with the body more brown, the reflections much less brilliant. Young brown.

Male, 13, 19. Female, 11, 16.