ICTERIDiE - THE ORIOLES — SCOLECOPHAGUS. 279 



Lenjith, about 10.00: extent, IG. 25 ; wing, 5.25; tail, 4.40. Iris of male yellow (of fe- 

 male brown) ; bill and feet blaek. 



Hah. Higli central plains to the Pacific ; south to Mexico. Pembina, IMinnesota. 



All abundant species everywhere tlirougliout California, except in tlie 

 dense forests, and resident in winter as far north as the Columbia Eiver. 

 They frequent pastures and fields, often following cattle, like tlie cow-birds, 

 for the insects which tliey disturb in the grass, and the undigested seeds in 

 their ordure. Tliey also associate much «ith tlie otlier blackbirds, and are 

 fond of feeding and Ijathing along the edges of streams. 



They have not much song, though the noise made by the associated flock, 

 as they sit sunning themselves on the top of some tree in early spring, is 

 quite pleasing, resembling much that of the red-wings, some of which often 

 assist in the chorus. 



Their nests are built in low trees, often several in one tree. They are 

 large, and constructed externally of a rough frame and floor of twigs, then 

 a thick layer of mud, and a lining of fibrous roots and grass. The eggs, 

 laid from April 10th to May 20th, are four or five, dull greenish-white, 

 with numerous streaks and small blotches of dark brown thickly scat- 

 tered over them. They measure 1.00 X 0.72 inch. They doubtless raise 

 two and perhaps three broods in a season. 



" Quiscalus imrpureus" {Quiscahts versicolor, Vieillot) is mentioned by 

 Newberry as common near San Francisco. No collector, however, has ob- 

 tained it on this coast, and I am satisfied that he mistook ;S^. cjjanoccphalus 

 for it, as I have myself at a distance. 



At Santa Cruz these birds were more familiar than I have seen them else- 

 wdiere, frequenting the yards aliout houses and stables, building in the gar- 

 den trees, and daily, after their hunger was satisfied, collecting on the roofs, 

 or on convenient trees, to sing their best thanks for an hour or two at a time 

 to their human entertainers. I have seen two of them pursue and drive 

 away a large hawk, while the timid pigeons were wildly circling around the 

 town in efforts to escape, even before the hawk made any approach toward 

 them. 



S- cyanocepkalus. 



