236 U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 211 



postnuptial molt of adults occurs at about the same time, the body 

 plumage being molted first and the wings and tail last. 



Food. — Of the stomachs of this species examined by Dickey and 

 van Rossem (1938) in El Salvador, one contained small ants, one 

 insects, one insects and berry seeds, and one berry seeds and pulp. 



Referring to one of the birds shot by Mcllhenny in Louisiana, 

 Bendire (1895) says: "On dissecting the specimen he found a number 

 of small green caterpillars and several spiders, but their principal food 

 seemed to consist of the small purple figs, which were just ripe. While 

 in search of food they move about exactly as the Baltimore Oriole 

 does, swinging from slender twigs head downward, looking under 

 limbs for insects." 



Voice. — Wetmore (1943) says that the "song is a quick repetition 

 of two or three notes without the clear tone of that of the Baltimore 

 oriole or the troupial, though the alarm calls are like those of the 

 northern orioles." Mcllhenny (Bendire, 1895) called it "a soft, 

 flute-like note." 



Alexander F. Skutch says in his notes on the Guatemala race: 

 "The song of this oriole consists of round, mellow whistles, uttered 

 deliberately in a clear, far-carrying voice. In the evening, especially, 

 it delivers single tinkling whistles spaced at rather wide intervals — 

 crystal beads of melody strung along a thread of silence. It has a 

 churring call, somewhat like that of its neighbor, the hooded cactus 

 wren (Heleodytes capistratus) , and a rather nasal note which may 

 serve either as a call or a signal of alarm." 



Field marks. — The Alta Mira oriole is a brilliantly colored and 

 conspicuously marked bird. The sexes are almost indistinguishable 

 in the field. The throat, interscapular region, and tail are clear black ; 

 the lesser and median wing coverts are yellow; the greater coverts 

 are tipped with white, forming a wing bar; and the rest of the wings 

 are black with varying amounts of white edgings. The head, neck, 

 rump, and entire under parts (except the black throat) are rich yellow 

 or orange-yellow. In the female, the black of the throat is somewhat 

 more restricted and the blacks and yellows are duller than in the 

 male. For other details, see the description of the plumages above. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — The Alta Mira Lichtenstein's oriole is resident from cen- 

 tral Tamaulipas (Victoria) south through eastern Mexico to Veracruz, 

 Tabasco, Mexico, and Campeche. 



Casual records. — Casual in southern Texas (Brownsville) ; nested 

 near Santa Maria, Tex., 1951, 



