134 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM, 



90. Stiirnella magna var. mezicana, Scl. 



" Sturnella magna ", Swains., Philos. Mag. I, 1827, 436. 



"Sturnella Jiipjjocrepis", Sci.., P. Z. S. 1856, 30,301; 1859, 58, 365, 381.— Scl. & 



Salv., Ibis, 1859, 19 ; 1860, 34.— Lawr., Ann. Lye. N. Y. VIII, 1865, 177 



(David, Veragua). 

 Sturnella mexicana, Scl., Ibis, 1861, 179; P. Z. S. 1864, 175 (City of Mexico); 



Catal. 1861, 139, No. 842 (Jalapa).— Cass., Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 



1866, 24 (Mexico; Guatemala).— Salvin, P. Z. S. 1867, 142 (Veragua). 

 " Sturnella ludoviciana ", Salv., P. Z. S. 1870, 191 (Veragua). 

 Sturnella magna var. mexicana, B. B. & R., Hist. N. Am. B. Irl, 1874, 172 (Mexico ; 



Central Am.).— Lawk., Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. No. 4, 1876, 24 (Barris and 



Sta. Efigenia, Islb. Tebuantepec ; Sept., Feb.). 

 Sturnella magna, a. mexicana, CouES, Birds N. W. 1874, 190. 



Summer specimens of the Meadow Lark found at Fort Brown have 

 been identified by Mr. Ridgway as typical mexicana. Its notes and 

 habits, as observed there, do not seem to differ essentially from those of 

 S. magna. It is abundant from April until October. 



[This Southern form may be easily distinguished from true .nagna by 

 its smaller general size (including the bill) and much larger legs and 

 feet, which are not only relatively, but absolutely, longer and stouter than 

 in S. magna. The two specimens examined by me were obtained at 

 Fort Brown, August 21 and September 13, 1877. They agree exactly 

 with Mexican examples. — R. E.] 



91. Icterus auduboni, Giraud. 



This fine Oriole is found in moderate abundance, and is the only spe- 

 cies that is resident. During the summer months, it is usually found in 

 deep woods at some distance from houses, but during the winter it is 

 less shy and retiring. They are frequently captured and offered for sale 

 by Mexicans in this vicinity, but several I have kept would not sing at 

 all in captivity. When free, their usual song is a prolonged and repeated 

 whistle of extraordinary mellowness and sweetness, each note varying in 

 pitch from the preceding. If once heard, it can never be forgotten. I 

 have not succeeded in finding any nests. There is considerable varia- 

 tion in the extent of white edging to the wings and tail, some specimens 

 closely approaching var. melanocephalns. — (Sennett, B. Rio Grande, 26.) 



92. Icterus cucuUatus, Swains. 



This is perhaps the most common Oriole in this vicinity during the 

 summer, arriving about the last week in March. It is less familiar than 

 Bullock's Oriole, and, like the preceding species, is usually found in woods. 

 The nests of this bird found here are perfectly characteristic, and can- 

 not be confounded with those of any allied species; they are usually 

 found in one of the two Ibllowing situations : the first and most fre- 

 quent is in a bunch of hanging moss, usually at no great height from 

 the ground ; when so placed, the nests are formed almost entirely by 

 hollowing out and matting the moss, with a few filaments of a dark hair- 

 like moss as lining; the second situation is in a bush (the name of 



