170 BtBDS OF ILLINOIS. 



iiijiMllary nr ouprn-firMtiil Btrlpos. (FromaR|>i>i'[ni<'n In my I'oUfotliin sliotat t'ploo.Ho.. 

 Aiii;ii-.t 11,1871'.. Tills liliil was viTV Vi'iint:: In fact barely alile tu fly. .K sllclil il'Hil't pxIsUi 

 In my mind as to Its liji-ntity, for I iliil n<>t actually sec tlic parent MnlH feed it. tli<>ni;li 

 liiitli »-cri> In tlio imnicdiatv vicinity and exhibited niuvli Bollcitude. TIdit Hpeclmun Is 

 R'parablo from tho corrcKpondliiB staeo of >J. Irirhan by the oshy enut of tho plloum and 

 tllP nbsrncc of brownisli on the sldcH.) 



"Afttunnial phimafff^. Voutto mali'. Entire uppor part« ollvc-ifrccn. th«* f«»athcr8 of 

 the pileiim and nape beinc; JiiBt tipped with this c(j|or and showinic iilalnly the lutby 

 underneath when dlsarranueil. Sides of lieail. with broad bands extenillne down I'aeh 

 side of the throat and nearly mei'tini: across the jintuliini. ash. washed with creenlsh 

 ollvo. Sides, with a broad connected band across anal reirlon ami breast, dull ollve- 

 (ireen. Rest of under parts, with central areas of throat and ju^ulum, very clear rich 

 yellow, IntenslfylnB Into a spot of orange on the breast In two spe(dmi-ns (both males) 

 a yellow tlpplnt; of the feathers on the jiiKulum nearly conceals much black underneath, 

 which becomes conspicuous when the plumage Is sli|,'htly disarrauKcd. 



"Aiitiniitial phiniage. young feiiinlf. Similar to the niaU-,but with a morn olive cast 

 to tho Kreen of the dorsal aspect, less ashy on head, and the spot ou the breast of richer, 

 deeper eMor,and broader difTusion. The younu of both sexes In autumnal plumage 

 have tho upper and lower oyv-\iii»cniiai)>ciioiis fnlrnii.i ;/c//< ir. In one specimen 'male, 

 taken AuKUst'il) the eye-lids are dirlu irhile. (From seven Bpeclmens— two females,flve 

 males— in my eoUoetion.shot at Upton, Me., AuRUSt. !*;■(.) Irrespective of Kcnerle charac- 

 ters. the young of W. ph ilnil pi ph ia ixTd at onve distinguishable from those of Opornrni» 

 agilia in eorrespondlng stages by the total absence of ashy on the central regions of the 

 throat, jugulum. and breast. So marked is the difference that obtains in this respect, that 

 I am easily able to separate the two spcclos, when lying side by side, at a distance of 

 fifteen or twenty feet." 



During the spring migration, I have found this bird to be very 

 common, on one or two occasions; and I have also obtained speci- 

 mens in the fall. Early in May, 1881, they were abundant near 

 Wheatland, Indiana, most of them being observed about brush-piles 

 in a clearing and along fences in the immediate vicinity. In the early 

 part of June, 1871, I saw a pah- in a thicket along the border of 

 Fox Prairie in Kichland county, and presumed at the time that 

 they were breeding there, but the individuals in question may have 

 been merely late migrants. 



Genus ICTERIA Yieillot. 



Iclerin Vieii.i.ot, Ois. .\ni. Sept. I.lsOT.ili, S5. Type. J/ii.ioicnpn firiilin Gmel. —Tiirdiia 



"Gen. CiiAit. Bill broad at base, liut contracting rapidly and becoming attenuated 

 when viewed from above; high at the base (higher than broad opposite the nostrils) : the 

 culnien and commissure much curved from base, the gonys straight. Upper jaw deeper 

 than the lower; bill without notch or rictal bristles. Nostrils elrcular.edged above with 

 membranc.the feathers close to their borders. Wings shorter than tail, considerably 

 rounded; first iiuill rather shorter than the sixth. Tall moderately graduated; the 

 feolhcrs rounded but narrow. Middle toe without claw, about two-thirds the length of 

 tarsus, which has the scutellie fused externally In part into one plate. 



