ICTERID^ — STURNELLINJE : MEADOW STABLINGS. 



405 



interruptedly to or towards the belly; some feathers around vent, and the tibia?, usually yellow 

 also. A large white patch on the wing, formed by the primary and many of the greater second- 

 ary coverts, inten-upted by black of the bastard (juills. Bill and feet black. Length 10.00- 

 11.00; extent 16.50-17.50; wing about 5.50; tail 4.50 ; bill 0.75-1.00 ; tarsus 1.25. In less 

 perfect dress, the yellow overcast with dusky. 9 , adult: Dark brown, including back of head 

 and neck ; line over eye, throat and breast dull yellow, with dusky maxUlary streaks ; usually 

 there are whitish feathers in the yellow, and sometimes the same in the black of breast. No 

 white wing-patch. Bill dark brownish horn-color; feet blackish. Much smaller. Length 

 8.00-9.50; extent scarcely 14.00; wing under 5.00; tail under 4.00. Nestlings are snuft'y- 

 brown; the sprouting wing-feathers black, already showing wliitr ; foet flesh -color. It is use- 

 less to pursue the endless color varia- 

 tions ; the si^ecies is unmistakable. 

 Western U. S. and British Provinces 

 to 58° ; E. regularly to Illinois, Iowa, 

 Wisconsin, etc., casually to Pennsyl- 

 vania, Massachusetts and Greenland ; 

 S. into Mexico ; migratory, very abun- 

 dant. Its distribution is general on the 

 Pj-airies, but in-egular ; it flocks about 

 ranches and settlements, and collects in 

 colonies to breed in marshy spots, any- 

 where in its general range. Nest a 

 light but large thick-brimmed fabric 

 of dried reeds and grasses, slung to 

 growing ones, 5-6 inches in diameter, 

 about as deep; eggs 3-6, 1.00-1. l.J 

 long by 0.75 broad ; grayish-green, 

 spotted, as in Scolecophagus, with red- 

 dish-brown, not scrawled as in Agelccus. 

 A line large species, conspicuous by its yellow head among the several blackbirds that troop 

 together in the West. 



Fig. 260. — Yello^\-heade^l 

 del. Nichols sc.) 



kbiid, udiiced (Sliepparil 



23. Subfamily STURNELLIN/E : Meadow Starlings. 



If the marsh blackbirds, orioles, and crow blackbirds be respectively entitled to represent 

 subfamilies of Icteridte, the meadow starlings seem to be equally entitled to sucli distinction ; 

 and I find that by making Sturnella (with Trupialis) the type of a subfamily, the Agelminoe are 

 susceptible of better definition. The characters are included under head of the type genus. 

 STURNEL'LA. (Irregular dimin. of Lat. si««-WMS, a starling. Fig. 261.) Meadow Larks. 

 (Name "lark" objectionable and misleading, but apparently ineradicable.) A remarkable 

 genus of Icteridce. BiU along culmen longer than head, shorter than tarsus ; depth at base 

 about i the length ; outlines about straight above and below, and along commissure to the 

 strong bend near its base. Culmen flattened throughout, extending broad and far into feathers 

 of forehead ; laterally, the frontal feathers reaching the narroAV scaled nostrils. Inner lateral 

 toe rather longer than outer, claw of neither reaching base of middle claw. Hind toe long, with 

 a great claw twice as large as the iniddle one. Feet very large and stout, reaching beyond the 

 end of the tail when outstretched : eminently fitted for terrestrial locomotion. Wings short and 

 much rounded; little diff"erence in lengths of ]st-5th quills; enlarged inner secondaries nearly 

 covering them in closed wing. Tail very short, rounded, of narrow, acute feathers. Feathers 

 of crown stiifish, bristle-tipped. No otlier genus approaches Sturnella, excepting Trvpialis, 



