D OLICHON Y:< on YZI VOR Ui<. 



FAMILY XVI. ICTERIDiE. THE ORIOLES AND STARLINGS. 



Hi//, UHl/i i/ic upvcr mandMe Irut Hlt/c curved and l/ie /owr more or /uss sii'i)//cn at llii: /lasc, iinnoldicd. Coracoids a/- 

 ivai/s f./iorlcr than the top of Ike keel wldch is hig/ier than one. tliird Ihc lcn(jl/i of t/ic cai-acoids. Maryinal indentations exceed- 

 ing in depth the heif/lit of l/ie Iced. Primaries, nine. 



This family belongs exclusively to tlie New Worlil nu.l i^ well vcprcsrntcil in the United States. Altliou.i^h some spe- 

 ci:;s ajiproach the preceding Family quite closely, yet tlio sternal charactei-s are quite different, the marginal indentations 

 boin>; always much dee])er. In other anatomical characters the membei-sof the family agree with the preceding, fiiresamide 

 hotli arc provided with small cccca, a little better developed perhajw in the present than in the former family. Both are 

 jn-ovidcd with agall, hut the stomach, which in Fringillidie is always muscular, varies greatly in this family, often afford- 

 ing good generic charactera. The females are frequently smaller in size and are always duller in color than the males. 



GENUS I. DOLICIIONYX. THE RICE BUNTINGS. 



Gem. Cn. Di!/, thief; and conical, shorter tlian the head. Upper mandible, but little curved. Wings, much longer than 

 the tail which is rounded, and with the feathers acuminate. Sternum, not stout but broader than one half t lie length of the 

 coracoids. Size, small. Stomach, musc7ilar. 



This genus closely resembles some of the membei-s of the preceding Family in many respects, a.s exhibited by the thick 

 bill, general form, and muscular stomach, yet the marginal indentations exceed in depth the heiglit of the keel. The fe- 

 males are smaller than the males, and are unlike them in phimage during the breeding season, but both sexes are similar at 

 other seasons. 



DOLICHONYX ORYZIVORUS. 



Bobolink. Eice Bird. 



Dolicliony,x oryzivora Sw., Zool., .Jour., 1827, 357. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Sr. Cn. Form, rather slender. Size, mcilium. Tongue, rather fleshy, provided with a short tuft of terminal, hair- 

 like fibers. Sternum, as given above. 



Color. Adtilt male in spring. Black tliroughout, with a patch on the back of the neck, edgeof f-athers of the liack 

 and outer webs of primaries and tail, yellowish. Scapularies, rump, upper tail coverts, and patch on the sides near th.o 

 shouldei-s, white. Lower back, gray. Secondaries and tertiarie,'^, edged with whitish. Tijis of wings and tail, brown. TIh 

 Hanks, tibia, and under tail coverts are narrowly margino'l with yellowish. Bill, black, bluish at the Inse of lowermandi 

 blc. Feet, dark-brown. 



Adult female in spring. Unifoi-m yellowish tliroughout, broadly s!veaked al^ive, and more nan-owly on sides, flanks and 

 tibia with dark-brown. There are two stripes of dark-brown on the head, mixed with yellowish and two sjjots back of th.c 

 eye of the same color. Wings and tail, brown, with the outer webs of all featheiv, ycUowish-wbite. Bill, brown, much 

 lighter on lower mandible. Feet, pale-brown. 



Adult male in winter. Similar to the adult female, but larger and yellower, especially lielow, while the streakings 

 beljw avo more suffused. 



Adult female in winter. Does not differ much from the spring dress, but is sonu'what yclhiwer below, and the streak- 

 ings aljovc are more suffused. 



Young male in spring. Quite like the spring adult, but with the white markings overwashed with brownish. Tl.e 

 yellow is not as clear and the sides and flanks are edged with yellowish. 



Young of the year in spring. The males have all tlie feathers above and below edged with yellowish, while the other 

 markings arc overwashed with dusky. Tlie hill is also lighter. The female is mueh yellower lielow where the streakings 

 are not as prominent. 



Nestlings. Uniform yellow above ami li.-low, with streakings i,f dusky on the ujiper parts, and lined on the bre,T.st, 

 siJes, and (lanlis with the same color. 



OUSERV-VnoNS. 



Tliis.specics must be a long time in arriving at maturity, as i ; is djilicult to find a si>ecimen as bhiek beneath as de- 

 scribod in the adult dre.ss. Out of some twenty-five skins now bef n-e me, inly f ur are in this stage, the second iilumagc 

 Iwiiig more common. S])ecimens of the same age and sex arc quite uniform in coloration. Known from all others by tic 

 markings given. There Ls, however, a resemblance between t!ie f sarnie of fiis sp3<Mes and that of the Black-throated Bunt- 

 ing, but the latter is smaller and has reddish on the v.-ings. Found in suirnaer east of the Rocky Mountains, between lati- 

 tudes 38 and 48 . WinteiN in the West Indices. 



niiiDs or I'l.or.iOA. • 17 



