PASSERES—IGTERIDAE— ICTERUS CUCULLATUS. 



319 



ICTERUS CUCULLATUS, Swains. 



Hooded Oriole. 



Icterus nicuUatus, Swains., Philos. Mag., i, 1827, 43G.— Lawb., An. Lye. Nat. Hist. N. 

 Y., V, May, 1851, 116 (first introduced into fauna of United States).— Bd., 

 Birds N. A., 1858, 540.— Id., U. S. & Mex. Bound. Surv., ii, pt. ii. 1859, 

 Birds, 10.— Id., Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1859, 305 (Cape Saint Lucas).— 

 CouES, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1808, 84.— Cooper, Birds Cal., 1870, 

 i, 275.— CouES, Key N. A. Birds, 1872, 159.— Bd., Brew., & Eidg., N. A. 

 Birds, 1875, 193, pi. xxxv, f. 6. 



This beautiful oriole is better known as a resident of Mexico than of 

 our own temtory ; yet, in Southeastern Arizona, it occurs in the region south 

 of the Gila River in such numbers as to waiTant our speaking of it as com- 

 mon. In a choice of its home, its taste differs entirely from that of the 

 oriole just mentioned. It shuns the arid districts, and is found only in the 

 fringes of deciduous trees along the streams. Here it seeks its food among 

 the foliage of the cottonwoods, and flies from thence to the low bushes on 

 the canon sides, spending much time among them, gleaning insects from the 

 branches, or even descending occasionally to the ground. I did not hear 

 the song ; the birds, at the time of my acquaintance with them, being busy 

 in providing for their young, and seeming to find their time too fully occupied 

 to devote any to music. Their common notes are a rolling chatter, which 

 somewhat resemble that of our common Baltimore Oriole, but is much 

 weaker and fainter. 



I saw quite a number of what I took to be the nests of this species, 

 suspended low down from the branches of the cottonwoods and various 

 deciduous trees ; one or two being not more than ten feet from the ground. 

 These were made of grasses, and woven and interwoven in such a manner 

 as to make a very firm, durable nest, and shows that this species is not inferior 



