BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, ETC. 299 



Jmllocki lives in the treetops. The neighborhood of water is not 

 considered a necessity by tlie Bullock, but in irrigated districts it is 

 especially fond of the sunny cottonwood hedges bordering irrigation 

 ditches, and abounds on the rolling prairie country-, tinding most 

 congenial nesting grounds in the groves that fringe the streams. It 

 also nests in towns, as the Baltimore oriole docs in the east. When 

 possible it hangs its nest from a tall sycamore or other large decidu- 

 ous tree, but if nothing better offers builds in low willows. In the 

 bottom lands near Chinese Camp, on the Yosemite Valley road, we 

 have seen small willows fairly hung with the bag-lik^ nests. The 

 young birds are much less skilful builders than the adults, Mr. Illing- 

 wortli notes, their nests being loosely supported and made of coarse 

 vegetable fibers instead of horsehair and twine. 



In general habits as well as appearance Imllocki resembles the Balti- 

 more oriole. The ranges of the two birds overlap along the eastern 

 part of the range of hullocki. 



In regard to the food of the hooded and Bullock orioles ]\[r. Illing- 

 worth says: "The orioles are very beneficial to the horticulturist, 

 although they eat some early fruit, such as berries, cherries, etc., but 

 no fruit man will begrudge them these if he thoroughly understands 

 their habits. The chief food of the orioles consists of insects and 

 injurious caterpillars, and I have often watched them while they 

 were searching among the branches for this latter food. They are 

 particularly fond of a small green caterpillar that destroyed the foli- 

 age of the prune-trees a few years ago. The orioles are often seen 

 in the berry patches, but they are usually in search of insects, as is 

 proven by the examination of a great number of stomachs." {The 

 Condor, July, 1901, p. 100.) 



In Pluenix, Arizona, they have been seen eating a tree caterpillar, 

 which was a pest at the time. 



GENUS SCOLECOPHAQUS. 



General Characters. — VnW not long'er than head, slender like that of a 

 robin, tip decnrved. cuttino- edges bent in ; wings pointed, longer than 

 tail ; side toes short, with luoderute daws. 



KKY TO ADl'LT MALES IN SUMMER PLUMAOE. 



1. IMuniagc glossy black witli faint greeni.sh luster ; hill stout. Nebraska 



t«) the Pacific cyaiioceplialus, p. ."JOO. 



1 . Plumage glossy greenish black : hill slender. Colorado to .Vtlantic. 



caioliiius, p. 209. 



509. Scolecophagus carolinus (Mull.). Rlstv Blackiuud. 



Adult iiitdf in siiinniir. — I'nifoiin glossy black, with bluish luster on 

 head and neck and l)liiisli green luster on body; under tail coverts more 

 or less edged with whitish. .[dult nude in irintir : Itlack. more or less 



