ICTEKID.'E — THE ORIOLES. 189 



Habits. I'Jotwithstandiii.u' the ai)iiaroul abuiulance nf tlu; species at Cape 

 St. Lucas, and al.sn in Xorllieiu Mexico along our entire border, as far as 

 New Mexico and Texas, our knowledge of its history still remains cjuite in- 

 complete. A single specimen was obtained iu Western Texas on the Pecos 

 Eiver, by Captain Pope, iu 1856. Others were obtained by Lieutenant 

 Couch, April, 1853, at Santa Catarina, in Mexico. They were first seen by 

 him in the vicinity of ]\Ionterey. They were found to be generally of se- 

 cluded lialjits. Their song, consisting of three or four ncftes, is said to be 

 both rich and melodious. 



In the State of Vera Cruz, this si)ecies is given by Sumichrast as occurring 

 in both the temperate and the alpine regions. Its common name is Culan- 

 dria india. They are said hy liim to occur cliiefly in the tenijierate parts, 

 where they breed, but not to be exclusively confined there, for they are also 

 found in the alpine region to the height of at least five thousand feet, near 

 Orizaba, and on the plateau at even a higher elevation. Dr. Cooper saw a 

 bird at Fort j\Iohave, in April, which he supposed to be this bird, but he was 

 not able to assure himself of the fact, by obtaining it. 



Mr. Xantus found this species very abundant during his stay at Cape St. 

 Lucas, and procured a number of specimens of the birds and of their nests 

 and eggs. From his brief notes we gather that the nests are open, and are 

 not jDensile. One, found May 22, was built in a bunch of moss hanging 



wings, and tail, inchulinjj the whole of the lower cov<'rts and the tip.s of the njiper, black. 

 Lesser and middle upper, with lower wing-coverts, hinder part of back, rump, and under parts 

 generally (except tail-coverts), orange-yellow. Length, U.oO ; extent, 12.00 ; wing, 4.50 ; tail, 

 4.25 ; tarsus, 1.15. 



Youiiij or female. Above yellowish-green ; more yellow on head ; throat black ; sides of 

 neck and body beneath dull yellow. Wings dark l)rown, the coverts edged with white ; middle 

 tail-feathers brownish-black ; outer yellowish-green. Length about 8 inches. 



Younger birds are entirely dull olive-green above ; beneath greenish-yellow. 



Hab. Northeastern Mexico to Rio Grande Valley ; soutli to Guatemala. Oaxaca, Jan. and 

 March (ScL. 1859, 381) ; Guatemala (ScL. Ibis, I, 20) ; Vera Cruz, hot region, resident (SuMi- 

 CIIUA-ST, M. B. S. I, 552). 



A close ally, and perhaps only a race, of this species, is the /. proslhemelas, Strickl., which 

 differs in smaller size, and in having the lower tail-coverts yellow instead of black (see synoptical 

 table, p. 778). 



HABrrs. This fine s|ieeies appears to be an abundant bird from Xorthern Mexico throughout 

 that republic and ( 'entral America to Costa Rica. 1 am not aware that anj' specimens have been 

 procured actually within our territory. It was met with at 8altillo, in the state of Coahuila, 

 Mexico, by Lieutenant Coucli, where only a single specimen was obtained. It was taken at the 

 rancho of Ojo Calieute, or Hot Springs. It was quite shy and difficult of apiiroach. Like all the 

 other Orioles, it appeared to be quite fond of the palm-tree known as the Spanish bayonet. 

 It is given by Sumichrast as occuiring in the department of Vera Cruz, where it appears to be 

 confined to the hot region. It is quite common in the district of Cordova, to the height of about 

 three thousand feet. 



Mr. Salvin states this to be the only Ictrrvs found liy him about Duefias, where it was not un- 

 common. In a letter written by this naturalist, jiublished in the Ibis of October, 1859, he men- 

 tions having taken the nest and eggs of this species. The structure, though of the same character, 

 — a hanging nest, — is very different from that of /■ fiitlaris, the common species on the Yzabal 

 road. The nest has none of the depth of the othei', but is comparatively shallow. 



