PASSERES — QUISCALID^E — ICTERUS. 139 



GENUS ICTERUS. Auctorum. 



Bill slightly shorter than the head, conical, slightly bent towards the tip. Nostrils elliptical. 

 The four outer quills nearly equal. Frontal sinus acute, not deep. Construct pensile 

 nests. 



THE GOLDEN ORIOLE. 



Icterus Baltimore. 



PLATE XX. FIG. 43 (Male). FIG. 44 (Female). 

 (STATE COLLECTION.) 



Oriolus baltimore, Linn.£us, p. 162. Icterus, Bkisson. 



Baltimore Oriole. Pennant, Arct. Zool. Vol. 2, p. 257, pi. 19. 



Yphantes baltimore. Vieillot, Gal. Qis. pi. 87. Wilson, Am. Orn. Vol. 1, p. 23, pi. 1, fig. 3 (male) ; Vol. G, 



p. 88, pi. 53, fig. 4 (female). 

 Icterus baltimore. Bonaparte, Ann. Lye. N. Y. Vol. 2, p. 51. Audobon, fol.pl. 12. Nuttall, Man. Orn. Vol. 



1, p. 152. Richakdson, Vol. 2, p. 284. Addubon, B. of A. Vol. 4, p. 37, pi. 217. 

 Baltimore Hungriest. Gikaud, Birds of Long island, p. 142. 



Characteristics. Orange : head, neck, wings and tail black ; lateral tail-feathers yellow 

 at their ends. Female, dull yellow ; tail yellowish brown. Young, 

 brownish yellow. Length, 7-8 inches. 



Description. Bill entire, very acute. Nostrils naked : lower mandible stouter at the base 

 than the upper. Second and third quills longest ; fourth longer than the first. Tail nearly 

 even, slightly rounded, reaching an inch and a half beyond the tips of the closed wings. 



Color. The under parts, upper tail-coverts, smaller wing-coverts and rump rich yellow, 

 passing into orange on the breast and sides of the neck. Head, throat, anterior part of the 

 back and hind neck black. Wings black ; the ends of the secondary covers tipped with white, 

 and the outer vanes of the primaries white. Tail black ; the feathers tipped with yellow, the 

 external ones for nearly their whole length, gradually diminishing to the central pair. Legs 

 and feet lead-colored. Female, yellowish olive. Wings dark brown ; the quills margined 

 with whitish. First row of small coverts and secondary coverts largely tipped with white. 

 A space round the eyes light yellowish ; the cheeks spotted with dusky. Tail yellowish 

 brown, with obscure dusky bars. Young, resembles the female, but is brownish yellow ; 

 the back obscurely barred with dusky. 



Length, 7-0-8-0. Alar spread, 11-0- 12-0. 



The Oriole, Hang-bird, Fire Hang-bird, or Golden Robin, for it is known under all 

 these names, is found in the summer season throughout the State, breeding in every part. 

 Its nest is well known, from its being suspended from trees by two or more strings. Its eggs 



