ICTERID.E — THE ORIOLES. 



203 



Synopsis of Species. 



S. ferrugineus. Bill slender ; height at base not .4 the total length. Color of male 

 black, «ith luint purple reflection over whole body; wings, tail, and abdomen glossed 

 slightly with green. Autumnal .specimens with feathers Ijroadly edged with castaneous 

 rusty. Fannie brownish dusky slate, without gloss; no trace of light superciliary stripe. 



S. cyanocephalus. Bill stout; height at base nearly ..5 the total length. Color black, 

 with green rellections over whole body. Head only glossed with purjile. Autumnal 

 specimens, feathers edged very indistinctly with umber-brown. Female dusky-brown 

 with a soft gloss; a decided light superciliary stripe. 



Cuba po.ssesses a species i-eferreil tu tlii.s genus {S. airoviulaccud), tliougli 

 it is not strictly congeneric with tlie two North American ones. It differs 

 in laclving any distinct membrane above the nostril, and in liaving the bill 

 not compressed laterally, as well as in being much stouter. The plumage 

 has a soft silky lustre ; the general color black, with rich purple or violet 

 lustre. The female similarly colored to the male. 



Scolecophagus ferrugineus, Sw.vixson. 



RUSTY BLACKBIRD. 



Oriolus fcmigineus, Gmelin, Syst. Xat. I, 393, No. 43. — L.vrn. Ind. I, ]790, 176. 

 Gracula fcrruginca, Wilson, Am. Orn. Ill, 1811, 41, pi. .\.\i, f. 3. Quiscaliis ferru- 

 gineus, Bon. Obs. Wils. 1824, No. 46. — Nuttall, Man. J, 1832, 199. — Aud. Orn. 

 Biog. II, 1834, 315 ; V, 1839, 483, pi. cxlvii. — Ib. Synopsis, 1839, 146. — lis. Birds 

 Am. IV, 1842, 65, pi. cc.xxii. — M.A.X. Caban. J. VI, 1858, 204. Scolccopluiffus ferru- 

 gineus, Sw.\iNSON, F. Bor.-Am. II, 1831, 286. — Box. List, 1838. — B.ukd, Birds N. 

 Am. 1858, 551. — CoUES, V. A. N. S. 1861, 225. — Cass. P. A. N". S. 1866, 412.— 

 Dall & Baxnistei;, Tr. Ch. Ac. 1, 1869, 285 (Alaska). ? ? Oriobcs niger, Gjielin, I, 

 1788, 393, Nos. 4, 5 (perhaps ^imatZits). — S.imuels, 350. —Allen, B. E. Fla. 291. 

 Scolecophagus niger, Bonai'. Con.sp. 1850, 423. — Cabanis, Mus. Hein. 1851, 195. 

 ? ? Oriohcs fuscus, Gmelin, Syst. I, 1788, 393, No. 44 (perhaps Molothrus). Turdtis 

 hudsonius, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 818. — Lath. Ind. Tardus novcboracensis, 

 Gmelin, I, 1788, 818. Turdus lahradorii<j>, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 832.— 

 Latu. Ind. I, 1790, 342 (labradorus). " Pendulimis atcr, Vieillot, Nouv. Diet." 

 Chalcophancs vircsecns, Waglek, Syst. Av. (Appendi.x, Oriolus 9). / Tardus No. 22 

 from Severn Eivcr, Forstcr, riiil. Trans. LXII, 1772, 400. 



Sp. Char. Bill .slender ; shorter than the head ; about equal to the hind toe ; its height 

 not quite two fifths the total length. Wing nearly an inch longer than the tail ; second 

 quill longest; first a little shorter than the fourth. Tail slightly graduated; the lateral 

 feathers about a quarter of an inch shortest. General color black, with purple reflec- 

 tions ; the wings, under tail-coverts, and hinder part of the belly, glossed with green. 

 In autumn the feathers largely edged with ferruginous or brownish, so as to change the 

 appearance entirely. Spring female dull, opaque plumbeous or ashy-black ; the wings and 

 tail sometimes with a green lustre. Young like autumnal birds. Length of male, 9..i0 ; 

 wing, 4.75; tail, 4.00. Female smaller. 



Hab. From Atlantic coast to the Missouri. North to Arctic regions. In Alaska on 

 the Yukon, at Fort Kenai, aid Xulato. 



Habits. The Rusty Blackbird is an eastern species, found from the At- 



