230 U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 211 



ICTERUS CUCULLATUS TROCHILOIDES Grinnell 



San Lucas Hooded Oriole 

 HABITS 



Joseph Grinnell (1927) describes this oriole as "similar in general 

 size to Icterus cucullatus nelsoni Ridgway, of Arizona and southern 

 California, but bill in both sexes longer, more attenuated in both 

 dorsal and lateral views, and more decurved toward tip ; color tone of 

 males in summer on bright parts of plumage averaging duller, more 

 yellow, less orange. * * * Range. — The Cape San Lucas district of 

 Lower California. Specimens examined from many localities from 

 San Jose del Cabo north to La Paz." He believed this race to be "al- 

 together resident in the Cape district" and could find no specimens 

 referable to it from the mainland of Mexico. 



William Brewster (1902) states that Mr. Frazar "saw only one 

 individual on the Sierra de la Laguna, but observed many in the 

 canons at its base. The species was most numerously represented 

 about Triunfo where it frequented trees near water, and began nest 

 building late in June. The first eggs, a set of four, were found at San 

 Jose del Rancho on July 14; during the following 10 days, six nests 

 and sets of eggs were obtained." 



Of the nests of the San Lucas hooded oriole Brewster (1902) says: 

 "[They] are essentially uniform in size and shape, and in these respects 

 similar to the nest of the Baltimore Oriole, although smaller and 

 decidedly shallower. All are largely composed of a fine, straw-colored, 

 jute-like fiber firmly interwoven, and four contain only this material, 

 but the fifth is lined with horsehair, and the sixth with cotton and a few 

 feathers. One was attached to the under side of a palm-leaf, two to 

 the branches of orange trees, three were in bushes, and one was sus- 

 pended at the end of a drooping branch of some deciduous tree. They 

 were placed at heights above the ground varying from four to eight 

 feet." 



Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway (1874) quote the following brief notes 

 from Mr. Xantus: "Nest and two eggs, found May 20, about ten feet 

 from the ground, woven to a small aloe, in a bunch of the Acacia 

 prosopis. Nest and two eggs, found May 22, on a dry tree overhung 

 with hops. Nest and one egg, found May 30, on an acacia, about 

 fifteen feet from the ground. Nest with young, found on an aloe four 

 feet high. * * * Nest and eggs, found on a Yucca angustifolia, on 

 its stem, six feet from the ground. Nest and two eggs, found in a 

 convolvulus, on a perpendicular rock fifty feet high. Nest and three 

 eggs, found on a acacia, twenty-five feet high." 



