ICTERID.E — TUE OKIOLES — SCOLECOPHAGUS. 277 



Sub-Family QUISCALIN.^. 



Char. Bill rather attenuated, as Imig as or longer than the head. The 

 culnieii curved, the tip xuucli l>(;nt down. The cutting edges inflected so as 

 to impart a somewhat tubular appearance to eacli mandible. The coni- 

 missure sinuated. Tail longer than the wiugs, usually much graduated. 

 Legs longer than the head, htted for walking. There are I'oui- species of the 

 genus Quiscalus in the Eastern and Southern United States^ 



Genus SCOLECOPHAGUS, Swainson. 



Scolecopttaijus, Swainson, F. 15or. Am. II. \Ki\. (Type, Oriolus ferriKjincus, Gmelin.) 



Gkx. Cu.\r. Bill shorter than the head, rather slender, the edges infle.xed as in 

 Quiscalus, which it otherwise greatly resembles ; the coniniissure siiinated. C'uhnen 

 rounded, Ijut not llattened. Tarsi longer than the middle toe. Tail even or slightly 

 rounded. 



S. ferrugincus. 



The typical .species, »?. fcrrurjincus, is common in the Eastern United 

 States, and is much like our species, ■which was formerly confouiulcd \\\\\i 

 it by Nuttall, Townsend, and others. 



Qiciscalios major, Vieillot, the boat-tailed grakle, is said by Gambel to oc- 

 cur at Mazatlan, " and occasionally in California," Init has not been obtained 

 by recent collectors. The Mazatlan species is Q. paluatris, Swainson. 



