ICTERID.E — THE ORIOLES. 



179 



of its articulation its song is hardly excelled, rcsenililing very nearly the 

 song of the Wood Thrush. JNlr. liidgway describes its modulations as e.x- 

 pressed liy the syllables tnnii-tiuuj-Umgnh-tU'lah-til'lah-tunx], each note pow- 

 erful and distinct. The dinercnue between tlie other notes of tlie two birds 

 is still greater than in their song, and even in character these are iicit alike. 

 In the necjlcctii the call-note of watchfulness or alarm is a loud, deep-toned 

 tncl\ similar to the chuck of the lUackbird, but much louder and more metallic. 

 That of sympathy for the young, or an.xiety when the nest is ap])ri)aclied, is 

 a loud, liquid tyu)-, slightly resembling the complaining note of the eastern 

 Bluebird, and also of the Orchard Oriole. All of its notes are of a power 

 corresponding to the size of the fiird. 



Mr. Eidgway also notices important differences in their flight. That of 

 the eastern species is carried on by an occasional spasmodic beat or jerk of 

 the wings, which are then extended, the bird sailing a sliort distance. The 

 flight of the western Lark is much more irregular, the bird flitting along by 

 a treml)liug flutter of the wings, never assuming these peculiar features. 



An egg of this species, collected by Dr. Cooper in Wasliington Territory, 

 June 19, 1856, measures 1.20 inches in length and .80 in breadth. It is of 

 an oblong-oval shape, obtuse ; the ground white, sjiaringly spotted with a 

 very dark purple, most of the markings lieing at the larger end. Three eggs 

 from Arizona, collected by Dr. Palmer, measure 1.10 inclies hy .80. The 

 markings are of much lighter shades of lilac, purple, and purplish and red- 

 dish-brown. The markings are more generally diffused, but predominate at 

 the larger end. An egg from the Yellowstone, collected by ]\Ir. Audubon, is 

 iinusually pointed at one end, measures 1.13 inches by .82. The spots 

 are a dark purplish-brown, intermingled with smaller and lighter dottings 

 of reddish-brown. Eggs from California do not vary essentially in their 

 markings from those of Arizona, and have an average measurement of 1.10 

 inches by .85. As a general rule, the mottling of the eggs of the western 

 bird is finer than that of the eastern. 



Subfamily ICTERIN.^. 

 Genus ICTERUS, Aucx. 



Iclcrtis, BmssoN% R. A. 1760. — Gn.w, Genera. 



Xanthornus, C'UVIEK, Leg. Anat. Conip. 1800. — Or.AY, Genera. 



PcnditHnu.i, Vietllot, Analyse, 1816. 



YplmiUc.s, ViEiLUiT, Analy-se, 1810. — Gr.AY, Genera. 



Gen. Char. Bill .slender, elongated, a.s long a.'; the head, generally a little deciivved, 

 and very acute. Tar.si not longer than the middle toe, nor than the head ; claws short, 

 much curved ; outer lateral toe a little longer than the inner, reaching a little beyond base 

 of middle toe. Feet adapted for perching. Tail rounded or graduated. Prevailing colors 

 yellow or orange, and black. 



Tlie species of this subfamily are all as strikingly characterized by 



