812 BIRDS OF ILLINOIS. 



There is even a greater discrepancy in size between the sexes, the 

 female beint,' scarcely more than half the bulk of the male. The 

 latter is Mack, with the head, neck, and jujjulum yellow. 



Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus (Bonap.) 



YELLOW HEADED BLACKBIRD. 



/r/crim xniilhnreiihnhig BP. Jour. I'liil. Af. v. ISK. 2i:.-ALD. liioR. v. 1S». 6. pi. »tS. 

 AgelaiiiH xanlhtii-i'iilialuti 8w. & Rich. F. B.-A. 11. 1831. 281.-AUD. Syiiop. 1839.^10; B. 

 Am. iv.1842.2-l.pl. 2i:i. 

 Agelaiug longilii-K Sw. I'lillo. Miic i, 1827, 436. 

 lelerus persiiicillalits Waol. IsIs. 1829. 758. 



Icteniit irlerme;)halii!i hv. Am. Uru. 1. 1835.27. pl.3.— NuTT. Man. 1. 1832. 176; 2d eil. 1840. 187. 



,V<iii//ior('y;/iii/ii.i iV/c)-ocpp/ia/i()i BaIRD. B. N. .\m. ISW.StUCat. S. Am. B. 18S9. No. 



404.— CouEs. Key 1872.168; rhock List. 1874, No. 213: 2d ed. 1882. No. .'119; B. N. W. 



1874. 18S.— B. B. & R. Hist. N. Am. H. ii, 1874. 107. pi. :t2. tte. 9. pi. .13. IIb. '.i.-RiDOW. 



Norn. N. Am. B. 18S1. No. 2i.O. 



Hah. Wi'sli-rn North America, n.-ifularly to Wisconsin. Illinois, Kansas, etc.. 



(casually) to Miissachusotts. Pennsylvania. Florida and Cubn, north to the Saskntehe- 



won. nud south into Mexico. Accidental in Greenland. 



8p. Char. Adult male in aunimer. Head. neck, and jugulum yellow, varyini; from 

 a lemon to a rich orange shade— very rarely to a pinkish saffron hue; primary covert.s 

 and lower ({rcater wluK-coverts white; rest of plumace uniform dull black, the lower 

 portion of the tibitn and the feathers immediately surrouniliuB the anus yellow; lores, 

 eyelids and feathers borderinK the base of the bill, also black. Adiill male in icinler. 

 Similar, but top of the head and nape washed with dusky. Total length about lOH-114 

 inches; extent 17-18M ; wing S.&VS.SO; tail 4.50-4.85; culmen .90: tarsus l.;»; middle toe 1.05. 

 Adult female. Brownish dusky, the throat and Jugulum dull yellow, the middle of the 

 breast mi.xed with whitish. Total length about 9 inches; extent 14'k: wing 4.40-4.65; tali 

 4.50-4.70. Young tnale in first winter. Similar to the ad\i\t female, but larger and deeper 

 colored. Young, first plumage. General color light isabella-brown, or dull brownish 

 buff, the wings and tail dusky. 



The Yellow-headed Blackbird appears to be confined to the prairie 

 districts of the northern portion of the State ; at least there seems to 

 be no record of its occurrence elsewhere. The writer thought he 

 once heard its note at Mt. Carmel, but was unable to discover the 

 bird, and may have been mistaken ; and he was never able to find 

 it on the prairies of Eichlaud county, in marshy situation where 

 the Eed-wings were abundant. In Cook county, Mr. Nelson says 

 (page 111 of his list) that it is a "very common resident in large 

 marshes. Arrives the first of May. Commences nesting the last of 

 this month. Owing to the restricted locahties inhabited by this bird, 

 it is vei-y slightly kno-wn among fai-mers ; even those living next the 

 marshes, generally think it an uncommon bird. My observations 

 regarding the actions of the males during incubation do not agree 

 with those of Dr. Coues ("Birds of the Northwest," p. 190). The only 

 difference between the habits of the male and female is the shghtly 



