ICTERID.E — THE ORIOLES. 199 



Icterus bullocki, Bon. 



BULLOCK'S ORIOLE. 



Xanthornus bullocki, Sw. Syn. Mex. Birds, Taylor's Phil. Mag. I, 1827, 436. Agelaius 

 bullocki. Rich. Rep. Brit. Assoc. 1837. Icterus bullocki. Box. List. 1838. — Aud. Orn. 

 Biog. V, 1839, 9, pis. ccclxxxviii and ccccxxxiii. — I b. Birds Am. IV, 1842, 43, pi. 

 ccxviii. — Newberry, Rep. P. R. R. VI, iv, 1857, 87. — Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 

 .549. —Max. Caban. J. Y\, 1858, 259. — Lord, Pr. R. A. Inst. IV, 121. — Cooper 

 & SucKLEY, 209. — ScLATER & Salvin, Ex. Om. I, 1869, 188 (diagnosis). — Cooper, 

 Orn. Cal. I, 1870, 273. Psarocolius auricollis, Maxim. Reise Nordam. I, 1839, 367 

 (Fort Pierre, Neb.). Hyphantcs b., Cass. Pr. A. N. S. 1867, 62. — Heerm. X, S, 52 

 (nest). 



Sp. Char. Tail very slightly graduated. Upper part of the head and neck, back, 

 wings, two central tail-feathers, line from base of bill through the eye to the black of the 

 nape, and a line from the base of the bill running to a point on the throat, black. Under 

 parts generally, sides of head and neck, foreliead and line over the eye, rest of tail- 

 feathers, rump, and upper tail-coverts, yellow-orange. A broad band on the wings, 

 involving the greater and middle coverts, and the outer edges of the quills, white. 

 Young male with the black replaced by greenish-yellow, tliat on the throat persistent ; 

 female without this. The first plumage of the young differs from that of haliimore in 

 being more whitish beneath ; lighter olive above, and without dark spots on back ; white 

 of middle and greater coverts connected by white edges of the latter. Length, about 

 7.50 inches; wing, 3.80. 



Hab. High Central Plains to the Pacific ; rare on Upper Missouri; south into Mexico. 

 City of Mexico (Scl. & Salv. 1869, 362). 



A closely allied Mexican species is /. abeillei of Lesson, differing princi- 

 pally in having the sides and rump black. 



Habits. Bullock's Oriole, the western counterpart of the eastern Balti- 

 more, is found throughout the Pacific shore, from the great Central Plains to 

 the ocean, and from Washington Territory to Mexico. It is not given by 

 Sumichrast as occurring in Vera Cruz, where its place is taken, as a migrant, 

 by the Baltimore. It was not noticed by Mr. Dresser on the liio Grande, 

 but in Arizona it was found by Dr. Coues to be a common summer resident. 

 It was there seen to frequent, almost exclusively, the willows and cotton- 

 woods of the creek-bottoms. To the small twigs of these trees its pensile 

 nests %vere usually attached. It is said to arrive in Arizona late in April, 

 and to remain there nearly through September. 



In the survey of the Mexican boundary Dr. Kennerly met with this 

 species in passing through Guadaloupe canon, where it was often seen, but 

 it was observed at no other point on the route. It seemed to prefer the 

 low bushes on the hillside to the large trees. In its motions it was quick 

 and restless, passing rapidly from bush to bush. 



In Washington Territory this species is stated by Dr. Suckley to be more 

 abundant in the sparsely wooded districts of the eastern base of the Cascade 

 Mountains than in the Coast Eange. He found it exceedingly abundant at 

 Fort Dalles and along the eastern base of Mt. Adams. They arrive about 



