11. MOLOTHRUS. 333 



The bill of 2Iolofhrus is much like that of Dolichonyx, but not 

 quite so short, and the tail-feathers have the normal structure. 

 The group is composed of at least sis well-marked species, distributed 

 from the prairies of North America to the pampas of Buenos Ayres, 

 most of which are known to have the parasitic. Cuckoo-like habit 

 of employing other birds to hatch their eggs. (See Baird, Brewer, 

 and liidgway, N. A. B. ii. p. 155 ; Owen, Ibis, 1861, p. 61; Hudson, 

 P. Z. S. 1874, p. 153.) 



Key to the Species. 



A. Colour uniform ; wings black. 



a. Shining black ; head brown 1. pecoris, p. 333. 



h. Shining dark gTeenish black : 



j uniform 2. ceneus, p. 334. 



I with a brownish lustre 3. armenti, p. 335. 



c. Shining purplish black, uniform. 

 a'. Middling size. 



( Female darker 4. honariensis, p. 335. 



I Female paler 5. purpurascens, p. 337, 



h' . Smaller G. atronitens, p. 337. 



c'. Larger 7. cassini, p. 337. 



d. Shining purplish black, axillaries red . . 8. rufo-axillaris, p. 338. 



B. Colour varied : wings rufous. 



j Cinereous ; paler below 9. badius, p. 338. 



I Sandy colour ; paler below 10. frinyillarius, p. 330, 



1. Molothrus pecoris*. 



Troupiale de la Caroline, Daub. PL Enl. 606. fig. 1. 



Fringilla pecoris, Gm. 8. N. i. p. 910. 



Emberiza pecoris, Wils. Am. Orn. ii. p. 145, pi. 18. f. 1, 2, 3. 



Agelaus pecoris, Siv. Phil. Mag. 1827, i. p. 436 (Mexico). 



Molothrus pecoris, Sw. Faun. Bor.-Am. ii. p. 277 (Mexico) ; Bp. 

 Consp. i. p. 436; Cab. Mus. Hein. i. p. 192; Baird, B. N. Am. 

 p. 524 ; Sclatei; P. Z. S. 1857, p. 213 (Mexico), 1859, p. 365 (Vera 

 Cruz), 1860, p. 252 (Orizaba) ; id. Cat. A. B. p. 134 ; id. Ibis, 1884, 

 p. 3 ; Scl. et Salv. Numencl. p. 37 ; Dresser, Ibis, 1865, p. 492 

 (Texas); Cassin, Pr. Ac. Sc. Phil. 1866, p. 17; Baird, Brew., et 

 Ridqw. N. A. B. ii. p. 154 ; Coues, Pr. Ac. Sc. Phil. 1866, p. 90 

 (Arizona) ; id. B. N.- W. p. 180. 



Molothrus ater, Gray, Iland-l. ii. p. 36 ; Coues, Check-list (1882), 

 p. 62 ; id. Key N. A. B. (1884) p. 402 ; Ridgw. P. U. S. N. M. 

 iii. p. 182. 



Molothrus obscurus, Cassin, Pr. Ac. Sc. Phil. 1866, p. 18. 



Molothrus pecoris, var. obscurus, Coues, Key, p. 155. 



Molothrus ater obscurus, Ridyw. P. U. S. N. M. iii. p. 182 ; Sennett, 

 Bull. U. S. Geol. Sun: iv. p. 22 et v. p. 396 (Eio Grande) ; 3Ierrill, 

 Pr. U. S. N. M. i. p. 130 (Texas) ; Coues, Key N. A. B. (1884) 

 p. 402. 



Black, with purplish reflections ; whole head, and body beneath 

 down to the middle of the breast, smoky brown ; bill and feet black : 

 whole length 7 inches, wing 4-2, tail 3-2. Female. Smaller; brown, 

 paler below and with slight darker shaft-spots. 



* For reasons for not adopting the specific term "ater,'' see Ibis, 1883, p. 583. 



