BIRDS OF CUBA I23 



for roaches and cattle's backs for ticks, and haunt the high groves of royal 

 palms for the insects attracted to the flowers and the beetles which harbor 

 in the great clusters of fruit. The two-syllable call-note is not unpleasant 

 and has given rise to the native name Toti. They do not sing in chorus like 

 the Redwings. 



In the field this bird looks like a rather small, short-tailed Purple 

 Grackle; it is, however, strictly arboreal. 



250. Icterus hypomelas (Bonaparte). 

 Cuban Oriole; Solibio. 



The Cuban Oriole is gorgeous and common. It usually is seen in 

 small companies, of adult and immature birds, stabbing into the bases 

 of the flowers. Wire fences are now widely used, and the problem is to 

 find posts which the white ants will not eat. Two plants furnish these, 

 the smooth, red almacigo and the pinon. Both soon take root and grow 

 into trees, so that tall hedgerows take the places of what were once simple 

 fences. The pinon {Erythriiia) flowers profusely, and the Orioles may 

 be seen laboriously drilling each tubular flower through at the base, in 

 search of little insects and sweet liquor as well. They frequent the majagua, 

 when in flower, and other allied species of Hybiscus, as well as orange and 

 lemon trees. They are fond, too, of soft, ripe fruit, into which the bill 

 may easily be thrust, the favorites being the sweet and sour sops, the 

 anon and guanabana. 



The nest, suspended from a palm frond or banana leaf, is the usual 

 beautifully woven pouch. Both male and female take part in drilling the 

 holes from which are woven the suspending threads, shredded out from a 

 dry, dead palm leaf. 



The adult birds of both sexes are uniform black, the wing-coverts, 

 lower back and thighs brilliant yellow. Immature birds are more or less 

 dusky olive-green. 



251. Icterus cucuUatus cucullatus Swainson. 

 Hooded Oriole. 



Gundlach reported it as having twice been seen, once in 1856 and again 

 in April, 1859. This is possibly an erroneous record; certainly it is the 

 only one for the Hooded Oriole from the Antilles. 



