Todd: The Birds of the Isle of Pines. 275 



the eggs had not yet been laid. The species could not be called com- 

 mon, and the pairs were scattered. It was noted also in the Cienaga 

 at Siguanea in small numbers in October and April, and one specimen 

 was secured. Mr. Read claims to have observed it in the Santa Bar- 

 bara tract in September, and it is reported from the island by Cory and 

 Gundlach. Its notes " resemble those of the common Red-wing 

 {Agelaiiis phcenicetis), but are lower and more wheezy, sounding, when 

 a number are calling together, much like the chirping of insects " 

 (Bangs & Zappey). 



133. Icterus hypomelas (Bonaparte). Cuban Oriole. 



Xantornus dominiscensis (not Oriolus dominicensis Linnaeus) Poey, Mem. Hist. 

 Nat. Cuba, 1854, 426 (Nueva Gerona, fide Gundlach). 



Icterus hypomelas Cory, Cat. W. Indian Birds, 1892, no (I. of Pines, in geog. distr.). 

 — Bangs & Zappey, Am. Nat. XXXIX, 1905, 211 (Jucaro, El Hospital, Cayo 

 Bonito, and Santa Fe; habits; crit.). — Read, Oologist, XXVI, 1909, 102 (I. of 

 Pines), 148 (I. of Pines; habits); XXVIII, 1911, 12 (I. of Pines).— Read, 

 Bird-Lore, XIII, 1911, 44 (McKinley); XV, 1913, 45, and XVI, 1914, 50 (Santa 

 Barbara). — -Read, I. of Pines News, VI, Dec. 13, 1913 (descr. ; habits). 



"'Cuban Oriole" Read, Forest and Stream, LXXIII, 1909, 452 (I. of Pines). — 

 Read, Oologist, XXVII, 1910, 5 (Nuevas River), 84 (McKinley to Nueva 

 Gerona); XXVIII, 1911, 3 (McKinley), 5 (Santa Barbara Mountain, etc.), 

 6, II (Nuevas River), 113 (West McKinley); XXX, 1913, 123 (McKinley), 

 125, 130 (Santa Barbara). 



Twenty-four specimens: Nueva Gerona, Bibijagua, and Los Indios. 



As described by Mr. Ridgway {Birds of North and Middle 

 America, II, 1902, 271), male birds in first nuptial plumage average 

 brighter, and with more black on the head, throat, and posterior under 

 parts than females at this stage. In ju venal dress both sexes are like 

 the second-year female, but are still duller and browner, the black 

 of the head scarcely or not indicated. Examples shot June 26 and 

 July 6 are in this stage; some of those at the latter date, however, 

 show postjuvenal moult. Adult males average more yellow on the 

 crissum than adult females. Messrs. Bangs and Zappey remark that 

 " in birds from the Isle of Pines the yellow color of [the] rump, thighs, 

 and wing-coverts is a little paler than in Cuban examples, as is also 

 the brownish yellow of [the] under tail-coverts and anal region, with 

 less of this color and rather more black than in Cuban specimens; 

 but these differences are not very tangible and the Isle of Pines bird 

 is not different enough to be formally separated as a subspecies." 



