during my peregrinations, and in one or two instances have seen it form
its nest in the fissures of rocks.
QUISCALUS VERSICOLOR, Vieill. Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. vol. xxviii. p. 488—Ch.
Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 5 4 . ; and Americ. Ornith.
vol. i. p. 4 2 , PI. v. fig. 1. Female.
GRACULA BARITA, Gmel. Syst. vol. i. p. 390—Lath. Ind. Ornith. p. 1 9 1 .
PURPLE GRAKLE, Lath. Synops. vol. ii. p. 4 0 2.
BOAT-TAILED GRAKLE, Lath. Synops. vol. ii. p. 4 0 0 .— Wilson, Americ. Ornith.
vol. iii. p. 4 4 , PI. xxi. fig. 4. Male.
Adult Male. Plate VII. Fig. 1.
Bill longish, straight, tapering, compressed from the base; upper
mandible prolonged on the forehead, forming an acute angle there, a little
declinate at the tip, its dorsal outline slightly convex, as are the sides;
under mandible nearly straight in its lower outline, convex on the sides,
acute at the t i p ; edges of both acute, of the lower inflected; the gap
line deflected at the base, reaching to beneath the eye. Nostrils basal,
oval, half closed by a membrane. Head large, rounded above. Neck of
moderate length, thick. Body rather robust. Feet of moderate length,
strong ; tarsus considerably longer than the middle toe, covered anteriorly
with longish scutella, shorter below, laterally with two longitudinal plates,
meeting behind at an acute angle; lateral toes nearly equal, the outer
connected at the base by a membrane ; claws strong, arched, compressed,
acute.
Plumage soft, silky, glossy, blended. Wings of ordinary length;
second, third and fourth quills longest, first and fifth nearly equal and
little shorter. Tail longish, of twelve feathers, much rounded, concave
along the middle above, or what is termed boat-shaped.
Bill, feet and claws black. Iris bright-yellow. Head, neck, and
upper part of the breast blackish, with vivid reflections of violet, steelblue,
and green. General colour of the body black, with bright-green,
purple and bronze-coloured reflections above, dull beneath. Quills and
tail-feathers black, the latter with purple and green reflections ; secondaries
and wing-coverts tinged with brown.
Length 13 inches, extent of wings 19; beak 1£ along the ridge,
\ \ along the gap; tarsus If, middle toe \ \ .
Adult Female. Plate VII. Fig. 2.
The female differs from the male in being smaller, in having the tail
less hollow above, and in the less brilliant reflections of its plumage,
which has more of a brown tint.
Length 11 inches, extent of wings 1 6 ; bill 1 along the ridge, 1J along
the gap.
THE MAIZE OR INDIAN CORN.
ZEA MAYS, Willd. Sp. PI. vol. iv. p. 2 0 0 . Pursh, Flor. Americ. p. 40.—MONCECIA
TRIANDRIA, Linn. GRAMINEJE, JUSS.
This very important plant is abundantly cultivated in all parts of
America. As it is generally known, and as I shall have occasion to speak
of it elsewhere, it is unnecessary for me to describe it here.