LAND BIRDS. 429 



TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION. 



Feathers of the throat broad and blended at the tips, like those of the breast and back; 

 tail but little rounded, the lateral feathers hardly an inch shorter than the middle ones; 

 entire pliunage black, as in the Raven, with similar greenish, bluish and purplish reflections; 

 bill and feet black; iris dark brown. The sexes are nearly alike in size and color, though 

 females may average a little smaller. The young just after leaving the nest are duller 

 black than the adults, lacking the glossiness and metallic reflections. 



Length 17 to 21 inches; wing 11.90 to 13.25; tail 6.90 to 8; culmen 1.80 to 2.05. 



Family 55. ICTERID.E. Orioles. Blackbirds, etc. 



KEY TO SPECIES. 



A. Plumage showing some blight yellow or red. B, BB. 

 B. With red or red and yellow. C, CC. 



C. Breast orange red, tail with much yellow and black. Baltimore 



Oriole, male. No. 203. 

 CC. Shoulders alone red, tail without yellow. Red-wing and 

 Thick-billed Redwing, adult male. Nos. 198, 199. 

 BB. Without red; under parts largely yellow. D, DD. 



D. Throat yellow. E, EE. 



E. A black crescent on chest; breast and belly yellow. 

 Meadowlark and Western Meadowlark. Nos. 200, 

 201. 

 EE. No black crescent on chest. F, FF. 



F. Entire head and neck yellow, breast and belly black, 



white patch on wing. Yellow-headed Blackbird. 



No. 197. 



FF. Entire under parts yellow, two whitish wing-bars. 



G, GG. 



G. Under parts light greenish yellow, wing 3.25 or 



less. Orchard Oriole, female. No. 202. 

 GG. Under parts reddish yellow, wing 3.50 or more. 

 Baltimore Oriole, female. No. 203. 

 DD. Throat black. H, HH. 



H. Tail with much yellow and black. Baltimore Oriole, 



male. No. 203. 

 HH. Tail greenish yellow, without black. Orchai'd Oriole, 

 young male. No. 202. 

 AA. Plumage without bright red or yellow. I, II. 

 I. Distinctly streaked below. J, JJ. 



J. Breast and sides thickly streaked with black or dusk}- on a 

 nearly white ground color. K, KK. 

 K. Streaks sharp and black. Redwing, female. Nos. 198, 



199. 

 KK. Streaks blended and dusky. Cowbird, young, and some 

 adult females. No. 196. 

 JJ. Under parts clear buff, streaked mainly on the sides, with 

 black. Bobolink, female, and fall specimens of both sexes. 

 No. 195. 



