480 ICTERID. 
1. Scolecophagus cyanocephalus. 
Psarocolius cyanocephalus, Wag]. Isis, 1829, p. 758’; 18381, p. 527°. 
Scolecophagus cyanocephalus, Baird, Mex. Bound. Surv. ii. Zool., Birds, p. 20°; Cass. Pr. Ac. Phil. 
1866, p. 413*; Sumichrast, Mem. Bost. Soc. N. H. i. p. 553°; Baird, Brew., & Ridgw. N. 
Am. B. ii. p. 206°; Coues, B. N. W. p- 199"; Lawr. Mem. Bost. Soc. N. H. u. p. 281°; 
Scl. Ibis, 1884, p. 151°; Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xi. p. 390"; Perez, Pr. U. 8S. Nat Mus. 1886, 
p. 152". 
Scolecophagus mexicanus, Sw. An. in Menag. p. 802"; Bp. Consp. Av. i. p. 423”. 
Niger neo lavatus; capite undique et collo purpureo nitentibus; rostro et pedibus nigris. Long. tota 9:0, ale 
5°2, caude 4-0, rostri a rictu 1:0, tarsi 1-5. (Descr. maris ex urbe Mexico. Mus. nostr.) 
© obscure fusca, gula vix dilutiore ; dorso postico, alis extus et cauda sneo lavatis; rostro et pedibus nigris. 
Long. tota 8°0, ale 4:8, caude 3-7, rostri a rictu 0°8, tarsi 1-2. (Descr. feminze ex Oaxaca, Mexico. Mus. 
nostr.) ’ 
Hab. Nortu America, from the plains to the Pacific and from the Saskatchewan R. 
southwards.—Mexico!? 412, Santa Rosalia (Couch *), Mazatlan (Grayson 8), Ciudad 
in Durango (Horrer 1), valley of Mexico ! (le Strange), plateau of Mexico (Sumi- 
chrast °), Oaxaca (Fenochio 1), San Baltazar, Nativitas (Perez 1). 
Scolecophagus cyanocephalus was described from Mexican specimens now in the 
Berlin Museum, and Sumichrast tells us that it is very abundant on the plateau of that 
country, but that it rarely shows itself in the valley of Orizaba except in winter®. We have 
an example from the State of Oaxaca, which is probably the southern limit of its range. 
In the United States it isa common bird from the high central plains to the Pacific, 
and, except perhaps in the more northern localities, it appears to be a resident, congre- 
gating in flocks during the winter months, which again disperse during the summer 
season. Dr. Coues has given a good account of its habits, as observed by himself 
chiefly in Arizona’; he describes the nest as usually placed in the fork of a tree several 
feet from the ground, and as of a bulky structure like a miniature crow’s nest, but deeper 
and more compact; the basement and outer wall are composed of short crooked inter- 
laced twigs matted with a variety of softer materials, and rarely plastered with mud, 
which, however, is not used in great quantity, often apparently no more than sticks to 
the roots, weeds, &c. The lining consists of a quantity of hair, rootlets, &c. The eggs 
are dull olivaceous grey, pale bluish, or greenish grey, thickly scattered all over with 
various shades of brown from dark chocolate to light umber. 
DIVES. 
Dives, Cassin, Pr. Ac. Phil. 1866, p. 418; Scl. Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xi. p. 391. 
Three species of Dives are now recognized, of which D. sumichrasti of Mexico and 
Guatemala is the only one which here concerns us; the other species are D. warszewiczi 
of Western Ecuador and Peru, and D. atroviolaceus of Cuba. The sexes are alike in 
D. swmichrasti both in colour and size, which probably indicates different domestic 
arrangements to those of Scolecophagus; the bill is rather long and stout, the culmen 
