148 



ORT^ITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. i4-:n^o. 10 



Blackbird but larger. It was so badly broken 

 that I could not mend it. In Wyoming I found 

 a nest which I think belonged to this species, 

 it also contained but one egg and in both cases 

 the nests had been abandoned. In 18S7 I was 

 too late for their eggs, but found a nest con- 

 taining four young, well grown, but without a 

 feather, and the bodies were black, a thin 

 down was upon the neck, and on the outer 

 side of legs, also where the tail feathers should 

 start. The eggs must be deposited the first 

 week in April or last of March in La Plata 

 County, but probably later in more northern 

 localities. The nest should be looked for in 

 pinons u]ion tlie sunny side of rocky mesas, on 

 horizontal limbs. 



18;^. DoUchonyx onjzivnrHH alhbmctxi (\\\i\^vf .). 

 AVestern Bobolink. Drew seems to be the 

 only one to have observed tiiis variety of the 

 well-known eastern bird, and he enters it as 

 nnjziroruH proper. The eastern Bobolink may 

 occur in the eastern part of the state, while the 

 western vaiiety occurs in the western portion. 

 At present, however, I deem it best to enter 

 the variety as a summer visitant: raie. 



184. Mnlothrm ater (liodd.). ("owl)ird. 

 Summer visitant: common. Xot found above 

 8,000 feet. This parasite is too well known 

 already. Almost the only good thing about 

 them is that they make a go(»d stew, or pot- 

 pie, in the fall wlien they .are foiind in large 

 flocks. Perhaps civilized, eastern i)eople, 

 would not relish the ])ot-i)ie, but a few weeks, 

 perhaps montlis. in camp would ])repare them 

 to eat most anything, and as variety is said to 

 be " the spice of life," so will a C'ow])ird pie 

 make a supper relishing, after a long day's 

 tramp. 



18.5. Xanthocc phdJ II X .rantliorciiJidhai 

 (Bonap. ). Yellow-headed Blackbird. .Sum- 

 mer visitant; common. Breeds from the 

 plains n\> to T,')00 feet, in communities with 

 the next. The males do not '-desert their 

 mates" as has been stated, as one may prove 

 by invading their domains. However, it is 

 the female who .shows anxiety for her eggs, 

 the male generally hanging to the reeds and 

 flags, motionless. 



180. Af/elains pho'nicfns (Linn.). Red- 

 winged Blackbird. Summer visitant: common 

 in the plains districts. Anthony says "a few 

 are resident."" I found them common in 

 south-eastern Colorado, but saw none in La 

 Plata County, lieaches 51,000 feet, according 

 to Drew, and breeds 1,000 feet lower. 



187. Af/plfthix tvirnlor (Nutt. ). Tricolored 

 Blackbird. The occurrence of this species 



rests upon my record* from La Plata County. 

 I can only add here that I never saw these 

 birds but once, viz. : February 3, 1887. 



188. Stnniella magna ne(/lerta (Aud.). Wes- 

 tern Meadow Lark. Reported by all the mem- 

 bers. Reaches 10,000 feet, and breeds sparingly 

 at 8, .500. Most al)undant on the plains. An- 

 thony says "a few ai-e resident."" Summer 

 visitant; abundant. 



189. Icterus spurius (Linn.). Orchard Ori- 

 ole. Summer visitant; breeding from the 

 plains up to 0,000 feet (Drew). Mr. Allent 

 also records it. 



190. Icterun f/aUnila (Linn.). Baltimore Ori- 

 ole. Summer visitant from the mountains 

 eastward. I found it very common at Ft. 

 Lyon, nearly every tree having from one to 

 three nests. 



101. Icterus huUocki (Swains.). Bullock's 

 Oriole. Summer visitant; common in western 

 part of state. Rea<dies 10,000 feet, and breeds. 

 I observed them in La Plata County, although 

 I believe 1 omitted it from my list of birds of 

 that county. 



102. HcoU'cophagus rarolhius (Mull.). Rusty 

 Blackbird. Tiie only record is that of An- 

 thonyj of North Denver. Mr. Smitli, Jr., says, 

 " In the collection of Mr. Anthony is a pair of 

 Rusty Orackles which he shot December 17, 

 188:]. Tliey were in a piece of swampy ground 

 near Denver, and were the only ones seen." 

 Mr. Anthony writes in regard to the same, 

 "Two were shot by me on December 17, 1883, 

 the only Colorado record." I enter them as 

 transient visitants: rare. They are not known 

 to breed south of northern Montana. Mr. Hol- 

 den's record of this species breeding in Wy- 

 oming is undoubtedly wrong, as I never saw 

 them in that territory except in migration al- 

 though tliey linger for a while during the fall. 

 Reaches ]:!,000 feet, and may breed at high 

 altitudes. 



10:5. Scolecoplxcjus ryanorfphftlns (Wagl.). 

 Brewer's Blackbird. Summer visitant; com- 

 mon. Breeds abundantly Ijoth on the ground 

 and in bushes, generally scrub oak, and is al- 

 ways found in little communities of from five 

 pairs up. After the young are on the wing it 

 collects in large flocks, and the fields, corrals, 

 and yards are alive with them. After feeding 

 they resort to the roofs of large buildings or 

 trees, where they rest and sleep until hunger 

 spreads them al)out. The eggs are four and 



* See O. & O., Vol. XII, No. 7, pp. 107-108, 18«7, also 

 O. & O., Vol. XIII, Xo. .5, p. 7.'i, May, 18«8. 

 t Bull. M. C. Z.. Vol. III. Xo. »;, ]). 178. also /. f/nll>iili. 

 t Auk. Vol. III. Xo. 'J. 11. -.'84. issc. 



