BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, ETC. 297 



edged with yellow isli. Adult female : under parts plain canary yellow ; 

 upjjer parts olive green, grayish brown across back ; wings brownish, with 

 white bars and edgings. Male in second year : like adnlt female, but lores 

 and throat black. Tlie rest of the black and the chestnut appear in increas- 

 ingly large patches till the adult plumage is reached. Youny in Jirst plum- 

 age : similar to female, but lighter wing- markings tipped with buff. 

 Male r length (skins) 5.80-6.50, wing 2.01-;5.-J5, tail '2J)0-2A)^), bill .50-69. 

 Female: length (skins) 5.00-6.o0, wing 2.70-3.05. tail 2.50-2.00. bill .60- 

 A)S. 



Distribution. — Breeds in Upper and Lower Sonoran zones from the east- 

 ern United States, west to the Rocky Mountains, and Texas ; migrates to 

 Cuba and South America. 



Nest. — Basket-like, sometimes pensile, woven of fresh grass and placed 

 in bushes or trees usually 12 to 20 feet from the ground. Eggs: usually 4 

 to 0, bluish white, marked most heavily about the larger end with blotches 

 and scrawls of browns and purples. 



Food. — Mainly small beetles, plant lice, flies, hairless caterpillars, cab- 

 bage worms, grasshoppers, rose bugs, and larvae. 



In the prairie states. Major Beudire says, the orchard oriole is 

 found mainly in trees and shrubbery along streams. When living in 

 orchards and gardens it makes itself most useful by destroying the 

 insects with which the fruit and vegetable grower have to contend. 



Subgenus Yphantes. 



507. Icterus galbula (Linn.). Baltimore Okiole. 



Adult male in spring and summer. — Under parts and hinder ynivt of 

 back bright orange or orange red : head. neck, and fore parts of hark black : 

 wings with yellow shoulder patch and 

 white wing bar ; tail black with 

 yellow corners. Adult male in winter : 

 like sunnner male, Imt scapulars and 

 interscapulars edged with dull orange ; 

 orange of rump and upper tail coverts 

 more or less obscured with olive ; 

 white wing edgings broader. Adult 

 female in summer: under parts orange 

 or brownish yellow, varying from 

 almost unmarked to the black color 

 pattern of male in duller, less xuii- - < ^ ^ 



form style ; upper parrs yellowish Fig. 3G4. 



olive, streaked more or less with 



black, if not with solid l)lack of male : rump yellowish, tail greenish 

 yellow ; wings brownish, with whitish wing bars. Adult female in uu'nter : 

 like summer female, but jjlumage softer and l)Mck tinged with gray. Im- 

 mature male : varying between adnlt niale and female or indistingnisliable 

 from female. Young in jirst fidl and irinter : similar to adnlt fenuiles. whicli 

 are w ithoiit black on throat. Yimng. jirst /jhtniage : lik(> ligliter e(»iore(l fe- 

 male, l)nt uj)per parts graver and nn(h'r parts witli softev coh i-s. Male: 

 lengtli (.skins) (;.S()-7.4("), wing ;;.6()-4.02, tail 2.TS-:;.15, bill .Klt-.'lS. F*- 

 male: length (skins) 6.20-6.T<», wing ;5.;]5-;}.(;2. tail 2.(5M-2';S:). bill .<i;{-.Tl. 



Distribution. — Breeds in Transition zone of ea.stern North America from 

 hitit'ule 55^ in Saskatchew;ni to Texas, west to the Rocky Mountains : 

 mi a'estlirongh eastern Mexico to Panama. 



