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.
Breeds from Texas to the Fur Countries. Resident in the Southern
States. Extremely abundant.
Purple Grakle, Gracula quiscala, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. iii. p.
44.
Purple Grakle, Gracula quiscala, Bonap. Amer. Orn. v. i. p.
42.
Gracula quiscala, Bonap. Syn. p. 54.
Common Crow Blackbird, Quiscalus versicolor, Nutt. Man. v. i.
p. 194; v. v. p. 481.
Quiscalus versicolor, Common Purple Boat-tail, Swains. & Rich.
F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 485.
Purple Grakle or Common Crow Blackbird, Quiscalus versicolor,
Aud. Orn. Biog. v. i. p. 35; v. v. p. 481.
222. 3. Quiscalus ferrugineus, Lath. Rusty Crow-Blackbird.--Rusty
Grakle.
Plate CXLVII. Male, Female, and Young.
Tail of moderate length, slightly rounded. Male with the plumage
glossy black, with green and bluish reflections, the feathers, when
new, slightly margined with reddish. Female with the plumage somewhat
duller, a reddish band over, and another under, the eye. Young with
the head and neck light brown, the rest of the upper parts
brownish-black, the feathers edged with light reddish-brown, the rump
tinged with grey; a band over the eye, and the fore part and sides of
the neck and body pale yellowish-brown; abdomen dusky, lower
tail-coverts dusky brown.
_Male_, 9-1/2, 14-1/4.
From Texas to Maryland, and along the Mississippi and Ohio to
Kentucky, during winter. Migrates northward to the Fur Countries, and
to the Columbia River, in summer. Common.
Rusty Grakle, Gracula ferruginea, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. iii. p.
41.
Quiscalus ferrugineus, Bonap. Syn. p. 55.
Scolecophagus ferrugineus, Rusty Maggot-eater, Swains. & Rich.
F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 286.
Rusty Blackbird, Quiscalus ferrugineus, Nutt. Man. v. i. p.
199.
Rusty Grakle, Quiscalus ferrugineus, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. ii. p.
325; v. v. p. 483.