ICTERID^ — THE ORIOLES. 211 



for fond, is intermediate between the guttural chuck of tlie Redwing and the 

 metallic chink of the Reedbird. 



" In the fall, when food is most aljundant, they generally grow fat, and 

 furnish excellent eating. They are tender, like other small l)irds, and do 

 not have the rather unpleasant flavor that the Redwing gains by feeding too 

 long upon the Zizania. 



"These are sociable as well as gregarious birds, and allied species are 

 seen associating with them. At Wilmington, Southern California, wjiere I 

 found them extremely abundant in November, they were flocking indiscrim- 

 inately witli the eijually ])lentiful Ai/c/aius tricolor." 



Dr. Heermanu found this Blackbird very common in New Mexico and 

 Texas, though he was probaljly in error in supposing that all leave there be- 

 fore the period of incubation. During the fall they frequent the cattle- 

 yards, where they obtain abundance of food. They were very familiar, 

 alighting on the house-tops, and apparently having no cause for fear of man. 

 Unlike all other writers, he speaks of its song as a soft, clear whistle. 

 When congregated in spring on the trees, they keep up a continual chatter- 

 ing for hours, as though revelling in an exuberance of spirits. 



Under the common Spanish name of Pajaro pricfo, Dr. Berlandier refers 

 in MSS. to this species. It is said to inhabit the greater part of Jlexico, and 

 especially the Eastern States. It moves in flocks in couiiiauy with the 

 other Blackbirds. It is said to construct a well-made nest about the end of 

 April, of lilades of grass, lining it with horse-hair. The eggs, three or four 

 in number, are much smaller than those of Quiscalus macrurus, obtuse at 

 one end, and sliglitly pointed at the other. The ground-color is a pale gray, 

 with a bluish tint, and although less streaked, bears a great resemblance to 

 those of the larger Blackbird. 



Dr. Cooper states that these birds nest in low trees, often several in one 

 tree. He describes the nest as large, constructed externally of a rough frame 

 of twigs, with a thick layer of mud, lined with fine rootlets and grasses. 

 The eggs are laid from A]jril 10 to May 20, are four or five in number, 

 have a dull greeni.sh-white ground, with numerous streaks and small blotches 

 of dark brown. He gives their measurement at one inch by .72. They raise 

 two and probably three broods in a season. 



Four eggs of this species, from Monterey, collected by Dr. Canfield, have 

 an a\erage measurement of 1.02 inches by .74. Their ground-color is a 

 pale white with a greenish tinge. They are marked with great irregular- 

 ity, with blotches of a light brown, with fewer blotches of a much darker 

 shade, and a few dots of the same. In one egg the spots are altogether 

 of the lighter shade, and are so numerous and confluent as to conceal the 

 ground-color. In the other they are more scattered, but the lines and 

 marbling of irregularly shaped and narrow zigzag marking are absent in 

 nearly all the eggs. 



Mr. Lord found this .species a rare bird in liritisli Columbia. He saw a 



