282 BIRDS OF ONTARIO. 



in these Hocks from three to four of a diifereiit species have been 

 prevented from c:)ming to maturity. 



The number of species imposed upon by the Cowbird is large, 

 inckiding Warblers, Vireos, Sparrows, Thrushes, Bluebirds, etc., but 

 the one most frequenth^ selected in this locality is the Summer 

 Yellowbird. On the prairies, where the Cowl)irds are numerous, and 

 the number of foster-jjarents limited, it is said that in the month of 

 June nearly every available nest contains an egg of the CowV)ird. 



In Southern Ontario they disappear during July and August, but 

 usually return in vast flocks in September, when they frequent the 

 stubble fields and patches of wild rice by the edge of the marshes. 



Genus XANTHOCEPHALUS Bonaparte. 

 XANTHOCEPHALUS XANTHOCEPHALUS (Bonap.). 



203. Yellow-headed Blackbird. (497) 



Malt : — Black ; whole head (except lores), neck and ujjper breast, yellow, 

 and sometimes yellowish feathers on the belly and legs ; a large white patch 

 on the wing, formed by the primary and a few of the outer secondary coverts. 

 Female and ijoniuj : — Browniish-black, with little or no white on the wing, the 

 yellow restricted or obscured. Fem^Ue much smaller than the male, about 9^. 

 Length, 10-11 ; wing, 5^ ; tail, 4^. 



Hab. — Western North America, from Wisconsin, Illinois ami Texas to tlie 

 Pacific coast. Accidental in the Atlantic States (Massachusetts, .South Carolina, 

 Florida). 



Nest, composed of aquatic grasses fastened to the reeds. 



Eggs, three to six, grayish-green spotted with reddisii-brown. 



A wanderer from the west, this handsome Black l)i id has appeared 

 from time to time at different points in the Eastern States. The 

 only record I have of its occurrence in Ontario is that given by Mr. 

 E. E. Thompson, in the Avk for October, 1885, as follows: "This 

 species has been taken a numl)er of times in company with the 

 Red-winged Blacklnrds by Mr. Wm. Loane, who de.scribes it as the 

 Californian Blackbird. The specimen I examined was taken near 

 Toronto by that gentleman, and it is now in the possession' of Mr. 

 Jacobs, of Centre Street." 



TlK)Ugh the Yellow-headed Blackbird is only a casual visitor, I 

 think it is quite probable we may yet see it as a summer resident 

 in the grassy meadows of Ontario. At present it comes east as far as 

 Towa, Minnesota, Illinois aiul Wisconsin, while in a northerly flircc- 



