ICTERID.E — THE ORIOLES. 163 



comuiuu oue sounds like con-ciir-ec. 13ut there is alsu un ;iliiiost eudless 

 mingliug of guttural, creaking, or clear utterances that defy description. 



Their eggs vary greatly in size ; the largest measures 1.08 inches by .82 of 

 an inch, the smallest .90 by .05. They average about an inch in length and 

 .77 of an inch in breadth. They are oval in shape, have a light-bluish 

 ground, and are marbled, lined, and blotclied with markings of light and 

 dark purple and black. These markings are almost wholly about the larger 

 end, and are very varying. 



Agelaius phoeniceus, \ar gubernator, Bon. 



CRIMSON-SHOULDERED BLACKBIRD. 



Psarocolitis gitbcrnutor, Wagleu, Isis, 1S32, iv, 2S1. Aijc/ains (jabernator, BoN. List, 1838. 

 — Ib. Conspectus, 1850, 430. — AuD. Syn. 1839, 141. — 1b. Birds Am. IV, 1842, 29, 

 pi. ccxv. — Newberry, P. E. R. Rep. VI, iv, 1857, 86. — B.4.IRD, Birds N. Am. 1858, 

 529. — Heekm. X, S, 53 (nest). —Cooper, Orn. Cal. I, 1870, 263. Icterus [Zanlhor- 

 uus) (jabernator, Nutiwll, Man. I, (2d ed.,) 1840, 187. 



Sp. Char. Bill rather shorter than the head, without any longitudinal sulci, but with 

 faint traces of transverse ones at the base of the lower jaw. Tail rounded. First quill 

 nearly equal to the fourth. 



Male. Throughout of a lustrous velvety-black, with a greeni.sh reflection. The lesser 

 coverts rich crimson ; the middle coverts brownish-yellow at the base, but the exposed 

 portion black. Wing, 5.00 ; tail, 3.90 ; culmen, .90 ; tarsus, 1.10. 



Female, Nearly uniform dark slaty-brown ; ah indistinct superciliary stripe, an indica- 

 tion of a maxillary stripe, and blended streaks on chin and throat delicate pale peacli- 

 blossom pink, this on the jugulum interrupted by dusky streaks running in longitudinal 

 series; lesser wing-coverts tinged with dark wine-red. Wings with just appreciable 

 paler edges to the feathers. Wing, 4.20 ; tail, 3.20. 



Hab. Pacific Province of United States, and Western Mexico, to Colima; Western 

 Nevada (Ridgway). ? Xalapa (Sclater, 18.59, 365). 



In the female and all the immature stages, tlie dusky beneath is largely 

 in e.xce.ss of the light streaks ; the superciliary light stripe is Ijadly defined, 

 and there is no trace of a median liglit stripe on the crown. These charac- 

 ters distinguish this race from ^j/joe^itceM.s ; while tlie rounded instead of 

 square tail, and brown instead of pure white border to middle wing-coverts, 

 distinguish it from corresponding stages of tricolor. 



Habits. The Crimson-shouldered Blackbird was first met with by Mr. 

 Townsend, on the Columbia Eiver, where two specimens were obtained, 

 which were described by Mr. Audubon, in his Synopsis, in 1839. No infor- 

 mation in regard to its habits, distribution, or nesting, was obtained by either 

 Mr. Townsend or by his companion, Mr. Nuttall. 



This species, or local race, whichever it is considered, occurs from the Co- 

 lumbia Ei\-er south throughout California. It is given doubtingly as also 

 from the Colorado River, but Dr. Cooper was only able to detect there the 

 common pJueniceus. According to the observations of that careful natural- 



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