502 OUNITUOLOGY. 



XAilTUOCErnALUS ICTEROCErUALUS. 

 Ycllow-licadetl Blackbird. 



{Se-zooh' of the Washoes.) 



Icterus ictei-ocephalus, BoNAP., Am. Oiii., I, 1835, 27, pi. 3. 



XantliocephaluH icterocephalus, Baird, B. N. Am., 1858, 531 ; Cut. N. Am. B., 1859, 

 No. 404.— Cooper, Orn. Cal., I, 207.— Coues, Key, 1S72, 1.5G, fig. 98 ; Check 

 List, 1873, No. 21.5 ; B. N.W., 1874, 188.— B. B. & II., Uist. N. Am. B. II, 1874, 

 107, pi. XXXII, tig. 9; pi. xxxiii, fig. 9.— Henshaw, 1875, 315. 



In order to be assured of the presence of this hirgo and conspicuous 

 species, it was only necessary to find an extensive marsh with a sufficient 

 extent of tall rushes, or, as tei-med in western parlance, tales. It was most 

 abundant in the vicinity of Sacramento City and along the southeastern 

 margin of the Great Salt Lake, near the mouth of the Jordan River; but it 

 was also plentiful at all intermediate points where suitable localities existed. 

 These birds generally frequent the same marshes as the Red-wings {Agdceus), 

 but usually the two congregate in colonies in separate portions of a marsh. 

 In general habits there is much resemblance to the Red-wings, especially 

 in their fondness for marshy localities ; but in many respects there is a 

 closer approach to the Cow-bird {Molothriis), notably in their very teires- 

 tiial nature ; for they may be very often observed walking over the green- 

 sward of the damp meadows with a firm, stately, and graceful gait, in the 

 manner of the species alluded to above. The eggs, also, are more like those 

 of 3Iolothrus than those of Ageketis. 



The notes of the Yellow-headed Blackbird are among the harshest and 

 rudest we have heard in any species. Their general character is that char- 

 acteristic of most "Blackbirds" of this family, the ordinary note being a 

 deep clmcJx, similar to that of QuiscaJus purpiirens or Q. ccneits, but louder; 

 while the song of the male is a discordant squawk, apparently " strained 

 out " by great effort, in a squeaking, rasping sort of way, like the similar 

 performance of Mohtlims or Quiscalus, but differing in that many of the 

 notes compare, in loudness and grating tone, with those of the Guinea lien 

 {Numida meleagris). The singer, however, evidently thinks liis perform- 

 ance pleasing, and it probably is to his mate, for he makes a great parade 



