228 SDsGINf; I'.IRDS — OSCIXES. 



ing not quite to the base of the iniildle claw ; liind toe rather lon^'er than to this base. 

 AVings long, reaching the niiildle of the tail ; (he i-ecoii<lanes and tortials nearly equal ; 

 the second quill longest ; the iirst less than the fourth. Tail very nearly even, shorter 

 than the wuigs. 



Guiraca melanocephala, Swaixsox. 



THE BLACK-HEADED GEOSBEAK. 



Cuiram mchmocqikila, Swaixsox, Syn. Mcx. Birds, Pliilos. Mag. I. 1827, 438. — Baikd, P. 

 1{. Kep. IX. Birds, 49S. —Cooper and Slcki.ey, XII. iii. Zool. of W. T. 206. — /Vm- 

 (jilla mchinoi-ejihula, AuDUDON, Oni. Biog. IV. 18.38,519; pi. 373. — Cu-cdlmrus im-luno- 

 ciphiltis, AvDVUoy, Synop.sis, 1839, 133. — Ib. Birds Amcr. III. 1841, 214; pi. 206.— 

 llEliHMAXX, I'. K. I!e)i. X. vi. 51. 



Sr. Cii.vi;. Ih-ad above ami on the siiles, with chin, back, wings, and tail, black. A 

 bruail median stri])e on the crown, a strijie behind the eye, a well-marked collar on the 



hind neck all round, ed;:('S of interscapular feathers, rump, and under parts generally pale 

 brownish-orange, almost light cinnamon. Jliildle of belly, axillaries, and under wing 

 coverts, yellow. Belly just anterior to the anus, under tail coverts, a large blotch at the 

 end of the inner webs of first and second tail feathers, a band across the middle and 

 greater wing coverts, some spots on the ends of the tertiaries, the basal portions of all the 

 qnills, and the outer three pi'imaries near the tips, white. 



Female, sinnlar, with less black ; wings and tail more olivaceous, thi^ latter uns|)otted ; 

 the black of the head anteriorly replaced by whiti.sh The imder wing coverts bright yel- 

 low. Length of m.ale, 8.00 ; extent, 12. .50 ; wing, 4.'25 ; tail, 3.50. Iris brown ; bill olive, 

 fleshv white at liase below ; feet slate-color. 



llcil). High Central Plains from the Yellowstone to the Pacific. Table-lands of ^lexico. 



This fine bird amves in tlie State near San Diego about April 12tli, and 

 is numerous during summer throughout the mountains both of the coast 

 and the Sierra Nevada, extending its migrations as far as Puget's Sound 

 at least. They are often kept in cages on account of their loud and sweet 



