=513a. Great-tailed Grackle= (_M. m. macrourus_). Similar to No. 513, but larger, [Male], L. 18; T. 9. Foreback and breast, as well as head and neck, purple, only rump and lower belly greenish blue; [Female]

blacker both above and below than [Male] of 513. _Notes._ _Tchack_, and a greater variety of squeaky calls and hoa.r.s.e whistles than are uttered by No. 513.

Range.--Eastern Texas and south into Mexico.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 486.]

=486. American Raven= (_Corvus corax sinuatus_). L. 24; W. 16; B. 2.7.

_Ads._ Resembling No. 488, in color but glossier below and with the feathers of throat narrow and lengthened; nape feathers gray at base.

_Notes._ A hoa.r.s.e, croaking, _craack-craack_, sometimes a deep, grunting _koeer-koeer_; a clucking, and a metallic _klunk_. (Bendire.)

Range.--Western North America, from Guatemala north to British Columbia; east to the Rockies, west to Pacific.

=486a. Northern Raven= (_C. c. princ.i.p.alis_). Similar to No. 486, but larger, L. 25; W. 17; B. 3.

Range.--Eastern North America, from mountains of northern Georgia and coast of Maine, north to Greenland; west to the Rocky Mountains.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 487.]

=487. White-necked Raven= (_Corvus cryptoleucus_). L. 18.5. _Ads._ Blue-black; feathers of throat narrow and lengthened and with feathers of neck all around, _white at the base_. _Notes._ _Kw.a.n.k-kw.a.n.k_, less loud and penetrating than those of No. 486. (Bendire.)

Range.--Northern Mexico, north to western Kansas, eastern Colorado (rarely), and southern California; east to western Texas.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 488.]

=488. American Crow= (_Corvus america.n.u.s_). L. 19.3; W. 12.1; B. 2.00.

Black with steel-blue or deep, purplish reflections; below duller, neck feathers not lengthened. _Notes._ _Caw_, _caw_, with many variations; song, _car-r-r-uck_, _oo-oo-oo-oo-ah_.

Range.--North America, north to Arctic Circle; winters from northern United States southward; local in west.

=488a. Florida Crow= (_C. a. pascuus_). Similar to No. 488, but wings and tail somewhat shorter, bill and feet slightly larger, W. 12; T. 7.3; B. 2.1.

Range.--Florida.

=489. Northwest Crow= (_Corvus caurinus_). Similar to No. 488 in color but smaller; L. 16; W. 11; B. 1.7.

Range.--Northwest coast, from Oregon to Kadiak Island, Alaska.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 490.]

=490. Fish Crow= (_Corvus ossifragus_). L. 16; W. 11; B. 1.5. _Ads._ Resemble No. 488, in color, but back feathers are uniform blue-black _without_ dull margins; underparts are nearly as bright as upperparts.

_Notes._ A hoa.r.s.e, nasal, reedy _car_ resembling the call of the young of No. 488.

Range.--Atlantic coast north to Connecticut, (casually Ma.s.sachusetts), west along Gulf coast to Louisiana; resident, except at northern limit of range.

SYSTEMATIC TABLE

Of the Birds of America north of Mexico, arranged according to the American Ornithologists' Union's 'Check-List of North American Birds', Third Edition 1910, and Supplement[B], July, 1912.

(_The presence of brackets, [ ], indicates that the species is an accidental visitant_).

[B] The Auk, xxix, 1912, pp. 380-387.

[C] Note that trinomials are now employed for all the races of a species including the first one described. Hence in place of No. 13, Puffin, _Fratercula arctica_, we now have No. 13, Puffin, _Fratercula arctica arctica_. (See pages 6 and 7 for an explanation of this method.)

[E] Note also that in accordance with a ruling of the A.O.U., the apostrophe is used with the names of birds named after individuals. Thus in place of No. 16, Ca.s.sin Auklet, we have No. 16, Ca.s.sin's Auklet. These changes affect all similar cases throughout the Color Key. After identifying a species, therefore, the student should turn to its number in the Systematic Table to learn whether any change has been made in its name. All alterations other than those of mere nomenclature are given beyond in Appendix I.

Order PYGOPODES. Diving Birds

Family COLYMBID?. Grebes.

A.O.U.

No. COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME Page

1 Western Grebe ?chmophorus occidentalis 44 2 Holb?ll's Grebe Colymbus holb?lli 43 3 Horned Grebe " auritus 43 4 Eared Grebe " nigricollis californicus 43 5 Mexican Grebe " dominicus brachypterus 43 6 Pied-bill Grebe Podilymbus podiceps 43

Family GAVIID?. Loons.

A.O.U.

No. COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME Page

7 Loon Gavia immer 44 8 Yellow-billed Loon " adamsi 44 9 Black-throated Loon " arctica 44 10 Pacific Loon " pacifica 44 11 Red-throated Loon " stellata 44

Family ALCID?. Auks, Murres, and Puffins.

A.O.U.

No. COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME Page

12 Tufted Puffin Lunda cirrhata 45 13 Puffin Fratercula arctica arctica[C] 45 13_a_ Large-billed Puffin " " naumanni 45 14 Horned Puffin " corniculata 45 15 Rhinoceros Auklet Cerorhinca monocerata 45 16 Ca.s.sin's Auklet[E] Ptychoramphus aleuticus 46 17 Paroquet Auklet Phaleris psittacula 47 18 Crested Auklet ?thia cristatella 47 19 Whiskered Auklet " pygmaea 47 20 Least Auklet " pusilla 47 21 Ancient Murrelet Synthliboramphus antiquus 47 23 Marbled Murrelet Brachyramphus marmoratus 46 24 Kittlitz's Murrelet " brevirostris 46 25 Xantus's Murrelet " hypoleucus 46 26 Craveri's Murrelet " craverii 46 27 Black Guillemot Cepphus grylle 48 28 Mandt's Guillemot " mandti 48 29 Pigeon Guillemot " columba 48 30 Murre Uria troile troile 48 30_a_ California Murre " " californica 48 31 Brunnich's Murre " lomvia lomvia 48 31_a_ Pallas's Murre " " arra 48 32 Razor-billed Auk Alca torda 48 33 Great Auk Plautus impennis 48 34 Dovekie Alle alle 46

Order LONGIPENNES. Long Winged Swimmers

Family STERCORARIID?. Skuas and Jaegers