4SG YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Tin's spwiesisrondily ilistinti^ui-liril Irom other lilackliirds in the nilult stage h}' the yellow head, and in other stages by 

 the ])eeuliar colors as described. Distributed dnring the breeding .season throughout the region west (jf the Mississij)pi. 

 Wintering in the more Southern sections. Accidental in Ma.ssacliusetts, I'ennsylvania, and Floritla. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of male specimens. Length, 10"50; stretch, IT'.IO; wing, 5'40; tail, 4'IH; bill, '88; tarsus, 1-40. 

 Longest specimen, 10-60; greatest extent of wing, 17'40; longest wing, 5'45; tail, 4' 17; bill, '98; tarsus, 1'45. Shortest spec- 

 imen, 10-40; smallest extent of wing, 17-20; siiortest wing, 5-35; tail, 4-05; bill, -80; tarsus, 1-35. 



Average measurements of female specimens. Length, 10-00; stretch, 17-00; wing, 5-25; tail, 3'70; bill, -80; tarsus, 

 rSO. Longest specimen, lO'lO; greatest extent of wing, 17" 10; longest wing, 5-30; tail, 3-75; bill, -85; tai-sas, 1-25. Short- 

 est specimen, 0-95; smallest extent of wing, lG-95; shortest wing, 5-21; tail, 2-02; bill, 7fi; tarsus, r2f). 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Ncsfs, placed in reeds. They are liluky, though compact, structures composed of cjuite coai-se grass and weeds, lined 

 with fine grass. Dimensions; external diameter, 5-00, internal, 4-12. External depth, 5-85, iutei-nal, 2G5. 



Ejijs, oval iufirm, three to five in number, bluish-gray in color, spotted and blotched irregularly with yellowish-brown 

 and occasionally lined with umber. Dimensions from ■80x'70 to TOOx '75. 



HABITS. 



Although the Ycllow-hcaded Blackbird has been ttikcn once in Florida and once in 

 Massachusetts, as stated, yet I have never chttnced to meet with it; but Mr. E-. Ridgway 

 of the Smithsoniau Institution, has kindly written for me a description of its habits, as 

 observed by him. 



"The tulcs constitute in California one of the most characteristic, if not prominent, 

 features of the landscape. Tlie term is peculiar, so far as the United States are concerned, 

 to the vernacular of thtit state, and is used to designate those vast areas of reedy mtirsh 

 which occupy so great a jDortion of the vtiUeys of the rivers which flow into the Bay of 

 8au P^-aucisco. It was among the tules, near Sacramento, that we formed our acquaint- 

 ance with the Yellow-hetidcd Blackbird. There this species swarmed among the countless 

 multitude of the feathered rtice. Its most intimate associates being the Red-wings which 

 were no less numerous than the motlej^ crowd of water-fowl composed of hovering Terns, 

 clucking Coots, Gallinules, and vtirious kinds of Ducks which together made an uproar 

 quite confusing to one not used to the scene." 



"The geographical range of the Yellow-headed Blackbird is quite coextensive with the 

 treeless districts of the western half of the continent, where ever suitable localities, such 

 as that described above, occur. It is, therefore, to be met with from the prairie districts 

 of the Mississippi valley to the Pacific, being no less numerous in parts of Illinois and 

 Wisconsin than in the most favored parts of California, while to the North and South its 

 regular range extends to the wild rice swamps of the Saskatchawan on the one hand, and 

 to the prairie sloughs of Texas on the other. Within the above limits the Yellow-headed 

 Blackbird may be said to occur reguhirly, although there are of course very numerous 

 •listricts where it is never found, owing to unsuitableness of environment. There are, how- 

 ever, even records of its occurrence far beyond any localities above mentioned. It has 

 been captured at Volusia, Florida, netir Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, iind in Massachusetts, 

 while it has even strayed to Greenland and Cuba. The occurrence of this species in these 

 last two localities, however, may be regarded as entirely exceptiontil." 



