476 SYSTEMA TIC SYNOPSIS. — PASSERES — OSCINES. 



there is so much white ou the wings as tf> approach the character of I. hulloeki- U. S. and 

 adjoining British Provinces; in the interior N. to Saskatchewan and Keewatin, about lat. 

 55° ; W. in the U. S. nearly or quite to the Rocky Mts. of Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado, 

 and in Brit. Am. to Assiniboia; S. in winter through Mexico and Central Am. to Panama; 

 accidental in Cuba and the Shetland Islands; migratory; breeds nearly tlmjughout its N. Am. 

 range, the Gulf coast region probably only excepted. It passes N. in late April and May, 

 reaching our northern districts about the middle of the latter mouth. This is one of our famous 

 beauties of bird-life, noted alike for its Hash of color, its assiduity in singing, and its skill at 

 the loom ; its elaborately fabricated and perfectly pensile nests swaying from the tops of our 

 shade-trees, which have one charm added when fired with such brilliancy as the Oriole brings 

 to contrast with verdure. Both sexes work diligently and intelligently at the nest, in the com- 

 position of which scarcely anything that can be woven or fitted seems to come amiss, and the 

 materials consequently vary interminably ; the shape is pouch-like, with the entrance some- 

 what contracted; the walls are firm, but thin, so that the cavity is comparatively large. The 

 depth of the nest is commonly 5 or 6 inches, sometimes more, the width less; the situation is 

 generally high in large trees, and out at the end of a branch, where it may be quite inac- 

 cessible. Eggs 4-6, oftenest 4 or 5, from 0.85 X 0.60 to 1. 00 X 0.65, thus rather elongate ; 

 ground color a shaded white, irregularly spotted, blotched, clouded, and especially scrawled 

 with blackish-brown and other heavy surface colors, together with subdued shell-markings. 

 I. bul'locki. (To Wm. Bullock, of London. Fig. 313.) Bullock's Oriole. Adult $ : 

 Black and orange, like the last, but orange invading sides of head and neck and forehead, 

 leaving only a narrow space on throat, lores, and a line through eye, black ; a large continuous 

 white patch ou wing, formed by middle and greater coverts. Larger than the Baltimore. 

 Length 8.00-8.50 ; extent 12.50-13.50; wing 4.00 ; tail 3.40. 9 : Olive-gray, below whitish, 

 all fore parts of body and head tinged with yellow ; wings dusky, with two white bars, but tail 

 and its under coverts quite yellowish. 9 thus very closely resembling 9 Baltimore, and more 

 detailed description may be desirable. Larger : Length about 8.00 ; extent 12.00 ; wing 3.75 ; 

 tail 3.25. Above olive-gray, becoming quite gray on rump, brightening into olive-yellow on 

 nape, upper tail-coverts, and tail. Forehead, superciliary line, sides of head and neck, and 

 large space on breast, bright yellow; lores and throat white. Other under parts grayish-white, 

 tinged with yellow ou under tail-coverts. Edge and lining of wing yellow ; middle coverts 

 broadly edged and tipped with white ; greater coverts and quills less conspicuously edged. 

 Young $ at first like 9 > soon, however, showing black and orange; in one stage with a black 

 throat patch. Western U. S. and adjoining British Provinces of Assiniboia. Alberta, and 

 British Columbia, E. to both Dakotas, Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, and W. Texas ; Lower 

 California, and in winter S. into Mexico ; accidental in Maine. It is abundant in woodland, re- 

 placing the Baltimore, to which it is so closely allied, and with which it corresponds iu habits 

 and manners. The nest and eggs are indistinguishable with any certainty : sets run, however, 

 from 3 to 6. The third species of this secticm of the genus is the Mexican I. aheillei, with a 

 black rump. 



(Sitbgenns Pendulinus.) 



I. spu'rius. (Lat. spurius, spurious; the species was formerly called "Bastard Baltimore 

 Oriole," whence the undeserved name.) Orchard Oriole. Basket-bird. Adult ^: Black 

 and chestnut. Head and neck all around, fore breast and back, black. Rump and upper tail- 

 coverts, lesser and under wing-coverts, and whole under-parts from breast, chestnut or choco- 

 late-brown. Wings and tail black, former except as said, and some white or whitish edging 

 of quills and tipping of greater coverts, latter forming a wing-bar; outer tail-feathers some- 

 times with a touch of chestnut. Bill and feet blue-black. Length about 7.00 ; extent about 

 10.00; wing 3.00-3.25 ; tail nearly as long, much rounded, its graduation nearly 0.50 ; bill 



