534 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF NEW JERSEY. 



very fat and afford excellent eating, but being, during the sum- 

 mer, a strictly insectivorous species, it is doubtful if it were 

 proper to kill them." 



ICTERUS, Briss. 

 I. spurius, L. Orchard Oriole. 



Male black ; rump, bend of wing and lower parts deep 

 chestnut ; bill acute, bluish ; female yellowish olive ; smaller 

 than male; young yellow, with chestnut traces. Length, 7 

 inches ; tail, 3 inches. 



" Arrives in May and remains during the summer. Has no 

 preference of locality, except in building its nest as it chooses 

 a tall tree and places the nest usually very near the top. Feeds 

 largely upon insects. Seldom carries off any fruit. Returns 

 south in October. Strictly inoffensive." 



I. galbula, L. (baUimore.) Baltimore Oriole. Golden Robin. Fire Bird. 



Male black ; tips of greater wing coverts white ; lesser and 

 middle wing coverts, base and tip of tail, rich cadmium orange,, 

 orange red or lemon yellow ; female variable, duller, olivaceous 

 and yellow, spotted with black ; white bands to most of wing 

 feathers. Length, 7 inches ; tail, 3 inches. 



"Arrives in May, and remains during the summer. Is a 

 more sociable bird than the preceding, and generally more 

 abundant. Builds in willow and elm trees principally, raising 

 but one brood. Refits the old nest, year after year, if undis- 

 turbed. Feeds on insects, and is very fond of cherries, though 

 it generally takes the wormy in preference to the sound ones. 

 Has generally gone by September 15th. Feeding so largely 

 upon insects, is a valuable bird." 



SCOLBCOPHAGUS, Swains. 



S. carolinus, Mull, (ferrugineiis Abbott's Catalogue.) Rusty Black- 

 bird. 



Wings longer than tail ; plumage black, often obscured by 

 brownish or rusty ; no red or yellow ; bill slender ; male glossy 

 black and rusty in autumn ; female dusky and lusterless. 

 Length, 9^ inches ; tail, 4 inches. 



"Arrives in New Jersey about the 1st of April, occasionally 

 so,oner, and in small flocks is dispersed generally throughout the 

 State. Is nowhere abundant, and among the people generally, 



