552 



U. S. p. R. E. EXP. AND SURVEYS ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 



faintly margined with brownish rusty; the wings and tail purer. In autumn both sexes have 

 the black on the body, and on the edges of the wings more or less concealed (sometimes entirely 

 so) by yellowish brown margins to the feathers ; the shade lighter below. There is also a lighter 

 superciliary stripe over the eye and a darker one through it. 



The Oriolus niger of Gmelin is based upon the Icterus niger of Brisson, from Jamaica, and the 

 Black oriole of Pennant, from North America. The latter two are probably distinct and 

 possibly refer to Quiscali, but to different species ; the one to harilus, the other to versicolor ; 

 possibly, however, to Sc. ferrugineus. 



A specimen of this bird in the collection of the exploring expedition is labelled Columbia 

 river, Oregon. This is the only one I have ever seen said to be from the Pacific coast. 



SCOLECOPHAGUS CYANOCEPHALUS, Cab. 



BreAver's Blackbird. 



Psarocolius cyanocephalus, Wagler, Isis, 1829, 758. 



Scohcophttgus cyanocephalus, Cabanis, Mas. Hein. 1851, 193. 



Scolecophagus mexicanus, Swainson, Anim. in Men. 2^ cent. 1838, 302. — Bon. Conspectus, 1850, 423. — Newberry, 



Zool. Gal. and Or. Route ; Rep. P. R. R. Surv. VI, iv, 1857, 86. 

 QuiscaZiis breioeri, Add. Birds Amer. VII, 1843, 345 ; pi. 492. 



Sp. Ch. — Bill stout, quiscaline, the commissure scarcely sinuated ; shorter than the head and the hind toe; the height 

 nearly half the length above. Wing nearly an inch longer than the tail ; the second quill longest ; the first about equal to the 

 third. Tail rounded and moderately graduated; the lateral feathers about .35 of an inch shorter. General color of male 

 black, with lustrous green reflections everywhere e.tcept on the head and neck, which are glossed with purplish violet. Female 

 much duller, of a light brownish anteriorly ; a very faint superciliary stripe. Length about 10 inches; wing, 5.30; tail, 4.40. 



Hab. — High Central Plains to the Pacific ; south to Me.xico. Pembina, Minn. 



There are considerable differences in the bills of different specimens of this bird. The culmen 

 is sometimes much curved from the very base, sometimes quite straight ; the size of the bill 

 varies considerably. The third quill is sometimes longest, the first nearly equal to or 

 Bhorter than the fourth. The graduation of the tail, too, differs by a quarter of an inch in 

 specimens. 



The females and immature males differ from the adult males in much the same points as 

 S. ferrugineus, excej)t that the "rusty" markings are less prominent. The differences gene- 

 rally between the two species are very appreciable. Thus, in S. cyanocephalus, the bill, though 

 of the same length, is much higher and broader at the base, as well as much less linear in its 

 upper outline ; the point, too, is less decurved. The size is every way larger. The purplish 

 gloss, which in ferrugineus is found on most of the body except the wings and tail, is here 



