THE YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD. 59 



No. 21. 

 YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD. 



A. O. U. Xo. 497. Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus (^Bonap.). 



Description. — Adult male: Head, neck all around, and breast orange yel- 

 low; lores and feathers skirting eyes and bill, black; a double white jjatch on 

 folded wing formed by greater and lesser coverts, but interrupted by black of 

 bastard wing; usally a little yellow about vent and on tibije ; the remaining 

 plumage black, dull or subdued, and turning brown on wing-tips and tail. I'cinalc: 

 Dark brown; line over eye, throat, and upper breast dull yellow. Length 10.00- 

 11.00 (254-279.4); wing 5.30-5.60 (134.6-142.2) ; tail 4.00-4.50 (101.6-1 14.3) ; 

 bill .90 (22) ; tarsus 1.25 (31.8). Female smaller, length 8.00-9.50 (203.2-241.3). 



Recognition Marks. — Robin size; yellow head and breast; white wing- 

 patches. 



Nesting. — Nest: a bulky but usually neat fabric of dried grasses, reeds or 

 cat-tails lashed to growing ones ; 5-7 inches in diameter outside by 5-8 deep ; inside 

 deeply cupped. Eggs: 3-6, ghayish green spotted or cloudetl with reddish brown, 

 rarely scrawled as in Agelaius: elongate ovate in shape. Av. size, i.iox.75 

 (27.9 X 19). Season: May or June; one brood. 



General Range. — Western North America from Wisconsin, Illinois and 

 Texas to the Pacific Coast, and from British Columbia and the Saskatchewan 

 River southward to the \'alley of Mexico. .Accidental in Middle and Atlantic 

 States. 



Range in Washington. — Of local distribution in eastern Washington chiefly 

 east of the Columbia River. Rare or casual west of the Cascades. Summer 

 resident. 



Authorities. — ["Yellow-headed Blackbird," Johnson, Rep. Gov. \Y. T. 1884 

 (1885). 22.] Bendire, Life Hist. .\. A. Birds, \'ol. IT. 1895. p. 447. Ss'. J. 



Specimens. — Prov. C. P. 



on, well tor the untried ncrxx's that the \'ello\\-liea(le(l Blackliinl sing's 

 by (lay, when the sini is shinins^- brightly, and there are no sui)porting 

 signs of a convulsion of Nature! \'eril_v, if lo\e affected us all in similar 

 fashion, the world would be a merry mad-house. The Yellow-head is an 

 extraordinary person — yoti are prepared for that once you catch sight of his 

 resplendent gold-upon-l)lack livery — but liis avowal of the tender passion 

 is a revelation of incongruity. Grasping a reed firmly in b(3th fists, he leans 

 forward, and, after premonitory gtilps and gasps, succeeds in pressing out a 

 wail of despairing agony which would do credit to a dying catamount. W'hen 

 you Iiave recovered from the first shock, you strain the eyes in astonishment 

 tliat a mere bird, and a bird in love at that, should give rise to such a cata- 

 clysmic sound. But he can do it again, and his neighbor across the way can 

 do as well — or worse. When your nerves have somewhat recovered, modesty 



