3^54 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Molothrus pecoris, ^w.mnson. 



cow BLACKBIRD ; COWBIRD. 



Fringilla pecoris, Gmelix, Sj-st. Nat. I, 1788, 910 (female). — Lath. Ind. f)ni. I, 1700, 

 443. — Liciir. Verzeicli. 1823, Nos. 230, 231. Emberiza jicmris, Wii.s. Am. Orn. 11, 

 1810, 145, pi. xviii, f. 1, 2, 3. Idcriui pecoris, Bo.SAr. Obs. Wilson, 1824, No. 88.— 

 AuD. Om. Biog. I, 1831, 493 ; V, 1839, 233, 490, pis. .\cix and cccc.\.\iv. Icfcrus 

 {EmUrizoides) pecoris. Box. Syn. 1828, 53. — Ib. Speochio comp. No. 41. — Nctt. 

 Man. I, 1832, 178, (2d ed.,) 190. Passerinn pecoris, Vieill. Nouv. Diet. XXV, 1819, 

 22. Psarocol ills pecoris, 'VVaglee, Syst. Av. 1827, No. 20. Molothrus pecoris, Swaix- 

 .SON, F. Bor.-Am. II, 1831, 277. — Rich, hist, 1837. — Boy. List, 1838. —Ib. Consp. 

 1S50, 436. — Aui). Syn. 1839, 139. — In. Birds Am. IV, 1842, 16, pi. ccxii. — Cabanis, 

 Mus. Hein. 1851, 193. -Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 524. — Cooper, Orn. Cal. I, 1870, 

 257. —Samuels, 339. —Allen, B. F!a. 284. ? Oriolus fuxcus, Gjielix, Sy.st. N.it. 

 I, 1788, 393. ? Stimins obscurtis, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 804 (evidently a .Uolo- 

 thrus, and probably, but not certainly, the present species). Molothrus obscurus, Cas- 

 siN, I'r. Ph. Ac. I860, 18 (Mira Flores, L. Cal.). — Cooper, Orn. Cal. I, 1870, 260. 

 " Icterus emberizoides, DAUnix." ? Sttimus juiuxti, L.^th. Ind. I, 1790, 326 (same as 

 Sturnus obscurus, Gm.). ? Friiujilla ambigua, Nttttall, Man. I, 1832, 484 (young). 

 Stwmus rwve-hispanioB, Bkiss. II, 448. 



Sp. Chau. Second quill longe.<t ; fir.st scaroely shorter. Tail nearly even, or very 

 slightly rounded. Male with the head, neck, and anterior half of the breast light 

 chocolate-brown, rather lighter above; rest of body lustrous black, with a violet-purple 

 gloss next to the brown, of steel blue on the Ijack, and of green elsewhere. Female light 

 olivaceous-brown all over, lighter on the head and beneath. Bill and feet black. Length, 

 8 inches ; wing, 4.42 ; tail, 3.40. 



Hab. United States from the Atlantic to California ; not found immediately on the 

 coast of the Pacific? Orizaba (Scl. 1857, 213); Te.xas (Dres.ser, Ibis, 186.5, 492); Fort 

 Whipple, Arizona (CouES, P. A. N. S. 1866, 90) ; Nevada and Utah (Ridgway) ; Mazatlan, 

 Tehuantopec, Cape St. Lucas. 



The young bird of tlie year is Virown almve, l>ro\viiisli-white lieneath ; the 

 throat iiumaculate. A maxillary strii>e and obscure streaks thickly crowded 

 across the whole breast and sides. There is a faint indication of a paler 

 superciliary stripe. The feathers of the upper parts are all niaroined with 

 paler. There are also indications of light bands on the wings. These mark- 

 ings are all obscure, but perfectly appreciable, and their existence in adult 

 birds of any species may be considered as embryonic, and showing an 

 inferiority in degree to the species with the under parts perfectly plain. 



Specimens from the west appear to have a rather longer aud narrower bill 

 than those from the east. Summer birds of Cape St. Lucas and the Kio 

 Grande are considerably smaller (var. obscurus, Cassin). Length about 6.50 ; 

 wing, 4.00 ; tail, 3.00. Some winter skins from the same region are equal 

 in size to the average. 



Birds of this species breeding south of the Eio Grande, as well as those 

 from Cape St. Lucas, Mazatlan, etc., are very much smaller than those nest- 

 ing within the Ignited States ; but the transition between the extremes 

 of size is so gradual that it is almost impossible to strike an average 



