Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VIII.djvu/154

 L46 GRAMMAR brood is raised in a season. This species is found in the southern Atlantic and gulf states, near the coast, and in Texas. During the breeding season, the sides of the tail are turned upward, whence its common name has been Purple Grakl* (Qulscaluu veruicolor). 1. Female. 2. Male. derived. The purple grakle, or common crow- blackbird (Q. versicolor, Vieill.), is 13 in. long, with an extent of wings of 19 ; the head and neck are steel-blue, the rest of the plumage with varied reflections of bronze, golden, green, violet, and copper ; the female is smaller, with a less brilliant and more brownish plumage. The habits are the same as in the others of the genus ; the friends of the farmer in spring by devouring grubs, in summer and early au- tumn they dispute the possession of the corn fields with the planters, who seek to frighten or destroy them ; their mischief is so great that the corn is sometimes steeped in saline and bitter solutions to prevent it from being pulled up; in cold weather they feed upon beech nuts, acorns, and the refuse of the cattle pens. In the southern states the nest is generally in a hole in a decayed tree ; the eggs, four to six, are bluish, with brown and black streaks and blotches ; in the north, pine trees are favorite places for their nests. They are found in the Atlantic states, from New England to Florida, and on the high central plains of the continent. The flesh is eatable. The genus seaphidurus has a long bill, with the culmen advancing on the forehead, and sloping to an acute and curved tip ; the wings are long and pointed, the first quill the longest ; the tail lengthened, gradu- ated, with the sides turned upward. They are found in the West Indies and in South America. <r> r ra in8 troy, or very nearly of a dram avoirdupois. It is the weight of a cubic MOtimetre of distilled water at the temper- ature of maximum density, 4 0., or 39-2 F. GRAMONT The gramme is divided, according to the French system, into 10 decigrammes, 100 centigrammes, or 1,000 milligrammes. Its multiples by 10 are successively deca-, hecto-, kilo-, and myria- grammes. The weight of the kilogramme, or 1,000 grammes, is equal to 2 -6793 Ibs. troy, or 2-2046 Ibs. avoirdupois. In rough estimates 50 kilogrammes are often conveniently taken as equivalent to 1 cwt., being only If Ib. short of this, and 1,000 kilogrammes as 1 ton, the deficiency being only 35*4 Ibs. GRAMONT, an ancient French family, which traces its origin to the 14th century, takes its name from the seigneurial estate of Gramont in Lower Navarre, and has produced several dis- tinguished men. I. Antoine 111., duke de, dis- tinguished himself in several campaigns during the reigns of Louis XIII. and Louis XIV., be- came marshal of France in 1641, was commis- sioned in 1660 to bring from Spain the infanta Maria Theresa as bride of Louis XIV., and died in 1678. He left personal Memoires^ which were published by one of his sons. II. Philibert, count de, brother of the preceding, born in 1621, died Jan. 10, 1707. His innu- merable love affairs, gambling adventures, and intrigues have been handed down to posterity in the sprightly narrative by his brother-in- law, Anthony Hamilton. This hero of fashion- able licentiousness, after figuring indifferent- ly in several campaigns, was ordered to leave France in 1662, because he had been pre- sumptuous enough to pay his homage to Mile. Lamothe Houdancourt, upon whom Louis XIV. had fixed his affections. He then re- paired to the court of Charles II. of England, where he became the favorite of many ladies of rank and beauty. He was stopped at last in his career of debauchery by an enforced marriage with Eliza Hamilton. He returned to France with his wife, who was appointed lady in the household of Queen Maria Theresa. He was 80 years old when, to divert him, his brother-in-law undertook the Memoires which were to perpetuate his name. III. Antoine Agenor Alfred, duke de, a French diplomatist, born in Paris, Aug. 14, 1819. He commenced his diplomatic career in 1852, and represented France successively at Oassel, Stuttgart, Turin, and Rome. He was sent to Vienna in 1861, and held the post of ambassador there until in May, 1870, he entered the Ollivier cabinet as minister of foreign affairs. When Prince Leo- pold of Hohenzollern spontaneously renounced his candidacy for the Spanish crown, Gramont further insisted that the king of Prussia should give a solemn promise that no prince of his house should in future be a candidate for the throne of Spain. On July 15 Gramont offi- cially announced to the French chambers that war existed between France and Prussia. When the Ollivier ministry were compelled to resign, Aug. 9, 1870, Gramont retired to pri- vate life. During and since the war he has been the object of vehement attacks in the French journals. In January, 1872, he was