SENNETT'S HOODED ORIOLE 215 



February 13 of the next year, he obtained three specimens out of a 

 flock of 8 or 10; the next day they were all gone, and he did not see 

 them again. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — Southern Texas to Central Mexico. 



Breeding range. — Audubon's oriole breeds from southern Texas 

 (Rio Grande City, Hidalgo, Brownsville) and possibly casually north 

 to Pleasanton and Austwell south at least to central Tamaulipas 

 (Realito, Rio Cruz). 



Winter range. — Winters throughout breeding range south to 

 Nuevo Le6n (Mesa del Chipinque, south of Monterrey), San Luis 

 Potosi (Hacienda Angostura), and southern Tamaulipas (Victoria, 

 Tampico). 



Casual records. — Rare in south central Texas (San Antonio 

 area). 



Migration. — Largely a permanent resident. Early spring date 

 north of normal range: Texas — Lytle, Atascosa County, March 4. 



Egg dates. — Texas: 15 records, April 23 to June 15; 8 records, 

 May 7 to May 28. 



ICTERUS CUCULLATUS SENNETTI Ridgway 



Sennett's Hooded Oriole 

 HABITS 



This is a northeastern race of a Mexican species, ranging from 

 Tamaulipas, in northeastern Mexico, into the lower Rio Grande Valley 

 of Texas. According to Ridgway (1902), it is "similar to /. c. cucul- 

 latus, but lighter in color; adult males less decidedly orange, the color 

 of pileum, chest, etc., deep cadmium yellow, never cadmium orange; 

 adult females much lighter in color, the yellow of the under parts dull 

 or pale gamboge instead of saffron or ochreous, the back and scapulars 

 lighter grayish, and light olive-greenish of pileum, rump, etc., clearer; 

 wing and tail averaging decidedly shorter." 



In the lower Rio Grande Valley, Sennett's hooded oriole is an 

 abundant and familiar summer resident. George B. Sennett (1878) 

 reported it as "very common in the vicinity, and among timber of any 

 respectable growth." He found it "more plentiful than all the rest of 

 the genus combined." James C. Merrill (1878) says: "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." 

 When I visited Brownsville in 1923 we found this oriole very common 



380928—57 15 



