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.