440 ICTER us BA L TIM ORE. 



CiENUS VI. ICTERUS. THE ORIOLES. 



Gen. Cii. J5/7/, much pointed , not very brood at tip. shorter than the head. Upper and lower mandibles a little curved'. 

 Winys, somewhat lonijcr than the tail which is sli(jhthj rounded. Feet, not laryc. Sternum, not nearly as narrow as that of 

 the preceding/ ffcmcs. Keel, rather loio. Curacoids, equal in length to the toji of the heel. Marijinat indentations equal in 

 depth to the height of the heel. Stomach, not muscular. Size, medium. 



jMemliei-s of tliis goiuis avc consiiicudusly marked either atiove or ticlow with hriglit euUirs or witli hlacli. They ara 

 all arlioreal in habit-i. 



ICTERUS BALTIMORE. 



Baltimore Oriole. 



"Icterus Baltimore Daudin," Aud., Orn. Biog., 1; 1831, 00. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Sp. Cn. Form, rather slender. Size, medium. Feet, not large. Tongue, thin and horny, with a slight central de- 

 pression, bifid at tip, provided witli a fringe of cilia extending along the sides for(]ne third the terminal length. Sternum, 

 rather stout. 



Color. Adult male in summer. Hsad, all around neck coming (hnvn into a triangle on the breast, back, wings, and 

 band across tail reaching to the tips of central ])air, black, also bar on tips of gi-eater wing coverts and outer edges of out- 

 er webs of all the wing foathei-s, white. Remaining portioas, orange-yellow, brightest on the breast. Upper mandible, 

 black, I)lu3 on li)vv.jr eJges. Lower mandible and fjet, blue. 



Adult female in summer. Beneath, uniform yellow, tinged with orange on the breast. Upper portions, including the 

 tail, yellowish-brown, brightest on the head and rump. No black band on the tail. Wings, brown, with white markings 

 a,s in the males. Bill, bluish throughout. Feet, blue. 



Adult male in autumn. Much brighter beneath tlian in spring, the breast frequently becoming orange-carmine. The 

 back ha.s a faint ovorwashing of orange and the rump is tinged with dusky. There Ls much more white on the wings which 

 is yellowish. 



Adult female in autumn. Mucli dcejier in color below, and the back is more uniformly overwashed with yellowish- 

 brown. The wings have much more wliite. 



Yomic) male. Has much more wliite on the wings, and the rump is overwashed with yellowish-brown. There is only 

 a slight indication of the black kir on the tail, the central feathei-s liecoming perfect first. The color below is not nearly as 

 bright. 



Yuunj female. Is much lighter in color Ijelow, showing none of the orange tinging on the breast. The back is not as 

 clear black. 



Youncj of the year in sprinij. The males are mottled on the back with yellowish-brown and black. The black of tfie 

 lower neck only extends in sjjots on the breast, and the color below is pale showing only a tinge of orange. The female is 

 very pale. 



Young of the year in autumn. The males show n'l black whatever and both sexes are tinged with orange l)elow. The 

 back is ]5ale, otherwise the plumage is similar to the female in autumn. Bill, lirown, considerably lighter at base of lower 

 mandible. 



Nestliuys. Very pale-yellow beneath and paler brown above. Wings and tail as in the last plumage. Bill, browx 

 throughout. Feet, blue. Tlie wings and tail feathers are not moulted. 



OBSERVATIONS. 

 I have described the average brightest plumage of the adult, but loncejirocured a specimen that had a carmine streak 

 down the breast. A local race of parfectly adult specimens which I procured on the islands in the Susquehanna River at 

 Williamsport, Pennsylvania, difier in being of a nearly uniform pale-yellow beneath and in having considerable white on 

 the wings. Readily known iiy the colors as described. Distributed in summer from the Carolinas north to Canada on the 

 eastern side of the Central Plains. Wintering south of the United States. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of twenty-five specimens. Length, 7'6-2; stretch, 11-05; wing, 3-71; tail, 2-82; bill, "72; tar- 

 sus, -85. Longest specimen, 8-00; greatest extent of wing, 12-25; longest wing, 4-00; tail, 3-10; bill, -75; tarsus, -90. 

 Shortest specimen, 7-25; smallest extent of wing, 11-15; shortest wing, 3-42; tail, 2-65; bill, -70; tai-sus, -80. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nests, ))hiced in trees, pendulous in form, composed ofstrips of fibrous bark, horse-hair, strings, rags, etc., neatly ani 

 lirmly woven together. Dimensions; external diameter, 4-00, internal, 2-00. External depth, 0-00, internal, 5-00. 



Eyys, four to six in number, oval in form, pale-blue in color, spotted, dotted, and lined with umber. Some of the 

 markings arc ineorijorated in the material of the shell. Dimensions from -GOx -60 to l-20x -72. 



