478 SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. — PASSERES — OSCINES. 



usual in this genus, and altogether less heavily marked. In the Lower Rio Grande valley this 

 is the commonest Oriole in some places, Apr.-Sept. ; nests with full sets of eggs are found from 

 middle of April to first week in July. 



I. c. nel'soni. (To E. W Nelson.) Arizona Hooded Oriole. Palm-leaf Oriole. A 

 paler-colored race, in which the yellow is not supposed to become orange or flame-color, from 

 New Mexico, Arizona, California, and southward to Mazatlan. The distinction is trivial, 

 hardly indicating a geographical race. Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. viii, Apr. 1885, p. 19; Key, 3d 

 ed. 1887, p. 877 ; A. O.V. List, 2d ed. 1896, p. 208, No. 505 a. 



(Subgenus Icterus.) 



I. pariso'rum. (To the brothers Paris.) Black-and-yellow Oriole. Paris' Oriole. 

 Scott's Oriole. Mountain Oriole. Adult ^ : Black and clear yellow. Below from 

 breast, rump, and upper tail-coverts, lesser, middle, and under wing-coverts, and basal por- 

 tions of all the tail-feathers, except central ones, clear yellow ; greater wing-coverts tipped, 

 inner quills edged, with white. Head, neck, breast, back, and wings, except as said, black. 

 On the tail, the yellow occupies the basal half of lateral feathers, but only extreme base of 

 central pair. Length 8.00 ; extent 12.00; wing 4.00; tail 3.40-3.60, moderately rounded, lat- 

 eral feathers graduated about 0.50 ; bill 0.90, attenuate and slightly decurved ; tarsus 1.00. 

 Young (J: Black parts all overcast with grayish-olive skirting of the feathers, giving the pre- 

 vailing tone on upper parts, but on breast the black showing more clearly ; yellow likewise 

 obscured with grayish-olive, especially on rump. Tail greenish-yellow, middle feathers black- 

 ening. Wings dusky, all quills and greater and middle coverts broadly edged and tipped with 

 white. Adult 9 : Dull greenish or grayish olive above, with dusky shaft-streaks on the back ; 

 dull yellowish below; greater and median wing-coverts tipped with white, forming two bars; 

 tail like under parts, but darker on middle feathers and toward the ends of the others. Smaller 

 than the ^ on an average. Western Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Southern and Lower Cali- 

 fornia, and some portions of Nevada and Utah; S. in Mexico to Puebla and Vera Cruz; 

 migratory, entering the U. S. late in March and early in April, and breeding throughout its 

 U. S. range ; a voluble and persistent songster. Nesting essentially the same as that of other 

 Orioles ; the purse-like fabric is well woven of grasses and fibres, the latter oftenest of the 

 yuccas, in which the structure is habitually suspended at little elevation; but it is also placed 

 in various other trees or bushes, sometimes in bunches of moss or vines hanging in cactuses, 

 quite near the ground ; eggs 2-4, oftenest 3, averaging 0.95 X 0.66, ranging from 1.05 X 0.70 

 to 0.90 X 0.60, white with a fugacious pale bluish tint, variously blotched and dotted with pur- 

 plish and blackish -browns, chiefly about the larger end, and with little if any tracery ; to be 

 found in May, June, and even July. Best biography in Scott, Auk, Jan. 1885, pp. 1-7; 

 and Bend, ii, " 1895" (pub. Sept. 1896), pp. 471-474. 



I. aud'uboni. (To J. J. Audub<m.) Black-headed Oriole. Audubon's Oriole. Adult 

 (J: Black and clear yellow. Entire body rich gamboge-yellow, without orange or flame tint, 

 but shaded with greenish on back, sides, and upper tail-coverts; under tail-coverts pure yel- 

 low, like belly. Middle and lesser wing-coverts and lining of wings pure yellow, former with 

 black bases concealed by yellow tips. Head all around, fore neck and breast, glossy jet-black, 

 without any concealed yellow, except at edges of the black on breast — the black tliere thus 

 ending ragged, difi"erent from the clean-cut border of cucullatus. Wings black; outer webs of 

 quills white-edged, especially on inner secondaries and outer primaries toward their end ; -greater 

 coverts with white spot at end of outer web. Tail black ; outer feathers more or less edged 

 and tipped with white. Bill and feet plumbeous-blackish, former paler at base below. Length 

 9.25-9.75 or more ; extent 12.50-13.00 or more ; wing averaging 4.00 ; tail rather more, much 

 graduated, outer feathers 1.00 or more sliorter than middle. Bill stout, straight, almost as in 



