every succeeding compiler has aggravated, rather than diminished this
complication of error. It is therefore solely by a studious attention
to nature, that we can extricate these species from the uncertainty
involving them, and place them in a distinct and cognisable situation.
With these vieSys,we now.gfyeYa faithful representation of .both
sexes of the Great Crow-Blackbird, drawn by that zealous observer of
nature and skilful artist Mr. John J. Audubon, and hope thereby
to remove all doubt relative tp^bia fnterestingiispecies.
For the same purpose we give in the following.plate a figure o£thè
\ female Common Crow-Blackbird, which differs so little froth its
mate, (admirably represented in the third volume of Wilsbii’s Ornithology,)
that it would, ;be>©theywisé unnecessary. This measure' ures
believe will be acceptable to ornithologists, as it furnishes them with
means of comparing the • females^tpf-, both, the - species dpg/piestjxjn;
whence the most striking distinctive characters are obtained; that
of one species differing considerably in' size and colour frbm’thè
male, .while the sexes of the other are very similar in [appearànce?
Wilson having mentioned this spe'eiest in , hjs catalogue of land
birds, evidently intended to. describe and figure it; b u t-ijp ^ h e
deferred, probably, in expectation of obtaining better opportunities
examination, which are not. so. readily .presented, as the bird
does not inhabit this section_ of the United States.
It would be difficult to ascertain whether or not Linné and Latham
have mentioned this bird in any part of their works, but the reader
may perceive our opinion on this point <by referring to our synonymes
» which,, however, are given with much doubt,’since iwodôîinpt
hesitate to .say, that those authors have not published any satisfactory
description of this species.
Wmshall not endeavour to settle the question relative to the species
inhabiting South America, or .even Mexico and the West Indies; but
we ana^ assert, that this is the_6nly Blackbird found in the. United
States, besides- those of Wilson, which, as. is the case with all that
his pencil or pen has toudhed, are-, established mcontestably: he
may occasionally have ffieen mistàken äs to his genera, or incorrect
in auspCcilc name, but bp'thef'fplblte? description, and history» he
has always determined his bird so obviously, as to defy criticism,
and prevent fixture mistakh. •’ >
. Mr. Ord-has published an1 excellent paper in the Journal of the
Academy 6£.'Natural Sdi$ifee^s proving the existence,’ In jhè> United
States, of-twb'allied ^species 'of 'Crow-Blackbird, in which he gfüünew
descriptions, indieatèsi -kable1' ©hafaeferk; and adds, an account ?of
their respective habits;;1 but in attempting’ td* correct Wilson; lie has
unfortunately misapplied the names. ‘In thisUinktance, he;should not
have charged Wilson- with error, whords ’ieeitaiiify’’correct. in regard
to the?.spehfè^ he published; and even had this béëndouhtful, he who
so well described and figured the Common Crow-Blackbird, oiight to
have been1 followed hy .Ornithologists. Therefore, notwithstanding
Mr. Ord’s, decision; we, eonkderthetjÄchfotof Wilson.unquestionably
tHfe' true quiscsalaoî author's; thfs*i&M/obvious,'that it te-'inhedessary
1m adduce any evidence in stipport df1 our opinion, which, indeed, is
sufficiently afforded by Mr. Ord’s paper itself, - ■
ItiajfcnposSible .to: décide with ,certainty; what bird authors intended
to designate by their Gracula barita ;lbut after a careful review Of the
short and! unessential indications;.’ respective1 synonymês,' and hßbitat
giveh. by different xyriter s, .wé.feel- assured that they have not referred
to one and the same species. Thus, the barita of Linné is a ’species
not .found in the United States, but common in the 'West Indies,
called Icterus niger by Brisson, and afterwards Oriolus niger by
Gmelin and Latham: the barita of Latham, his Boat-tailed Grakle,
is evidently* the same'with th&'qp,i$6ala:* Gmelin’sj barita'is taken
partly from that of Linné, and partly from the Boatdailed Grakle
of Latham, being cbnipbunded from both, species: we shall not be
at the ^rouble, of dpcyphering the errors of subsequent compilers.
* It was probably by Latham, that Mr. Ord was Ipd to misapply J f e names of the
two species; for, perceiving .that the barita of that author wâs thè çVîscô/o-; he inferred,
thdt the quiscah was the barih.
VOL. I.—K