ICTERID.E — THE ORIOLl':S. 



149 



tail and the very long middle toe, liy means of wliicli it is enabled to grasp 

 the vertical stems of reeds or otlier slender plants. The color of the single 

 species is black, varied with whitish patches on tlie upper parts. 



Dolichonyx oryzivorus, Swaixson. 



BOBOLINK ; KEEDBIED ; RICEBIKD. 



Emheriza onjzivora, Linn. Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 311. — Gm. I, 1788, 850. —Wilson, Am. 

 Orn. II, 1810, 48, pi. xii, f. 1, 2. Passcrina oryzivora, ViEiLLOT, Noiiv. Diet. XXV, 

 1817, 3. Dolichonijx onjzivora, Swainson, Zool. Jour. Ill, 1827, 351. — Ib. F. Bor.- 

 Ain. II, 1S31, 278. — Bon. List, 1838. — I B. Conspectus, 1850, 437. — AuD. Syn. 

 1839, 139. — In. Birds Am. IV, 1842, 10, pi. ccxi. — GossE, Birds Jam. 1847, 229. — 

 Baied, Birds N. Am. 1858, 522. — Max. Cab. J. VI, 1858, 266. — Cooper, Orn. 

 Cal. I, 1870, 255. — Samuels, 335. Mcrus agripennis, Bonap. Obs. Wils. 1824, 

 No. 87. AuD. Orn. Biog. I, 1831, 283 ; V, 1839, 486, pi. liv. — Nutt. Man. I, 1832, 

 185. Icterus (Emberizoichs) agripennis, BoN. Syn. 1S28, 53. Boiichonyx agripennis. 

 Rich. List, 1837. Psarocolius caudacutiis, Wagler, Syst. Av. 1827, 32. 



Sp. Char. General color of male in spring, black ; the nape brownish cream-color ; a 

 patch on the side of the Ijreast, the scapulars, 

 and rump, white, shading into light a.sh on the 

 upper tail-coverts and the back below the inter- 

 scapular region. The outer primaries sharply 

 margined with yellowish-white; the tertials less 

 abruptl_v ; the tail-feathers margined at the tips 

 with pale brownish-ash. In autumn totally 

 different, resembling the female. 1 



FemaJe, yellowish Iseneath; two stripes on the j; 

 top of the head, and the upper parts through- ,' 

 out, except the back of the neck and rump, and 

 including all the wing-feathers generally, dark 

 brown, all edged with brownish-yellow, which 

 becomes whiter near the tips of the quills. The 

 sides sparsely streaked with dark brown, and a 

 similar stripe behind the eye. There is a super- 

 ciliary and a median band of yellow on the head, 

 tail, .3.1.5. 



Hae. Eastern United States to the high Central Plains. North to Selkirk Settlement, 

 and Ottawa, Canada ; and west to Salt Lake Valley, Utah, and Ruby Valley, Nevada 

 (Ridgwat) ; Cuba, winter (Caban.) ; Bahamas (Bryant) ; Jamaica (Gosse, Scl., Oct. ; 

 March, Oct., and in spring) ; James Island, Galapagos, Oct. (Gould) ; Sombrero, W. I. 

 (Lawrence) ; Brazil (Pelzeln) ; Yucatan. 



A female bird from Paraguay (Dec, 1859) is undistingnishable from the 

 average of northern ones, except by the smaller size. Specimens from the 

 western plains differ from those taken near the Atlantic Coast in having 

 the light areas above paler, and less obscured by the grayish wash so preva- 

 lent in the latter ; the ochraceous of the nape being very pale, and at the 

 same time pure. 



^ y 



DoUchonyx oryzivorus. 



Length of male, 7.70 ; wing, 3.83 ; 



