43 



The Oriole is a late breeder, and only rears one brood in the season.* Breedinc 

 Harting took a nest between Paris and Orleans on June 3 with young Reason. 

 birds, but this appears to be an unusually early date. In Holland many 

 clutches are taken in the last week of May and the beginning of June. 

 Rey gives the first half of June as the usual time in north Germany, but 

 on one occasion found a nest with 3 eggs on May 17. In the south of 

 Europe the breeding season is earlier. Chapman gives May 20 as the 

 usual date date for Andalucia; in Italy it is said to breed from the end 

 of April to the beginning of June (Arrigoni), and a nest found in Bulgaria 

 on May 30 contained hard-set eggs (Reiser). 



Average of 100 eggs (20 measured by Rey, 11 by Blasius and 69 Measure- 

 by the writer) 30.87 X 21.3 mm.. Max. 36 X 22.2 (Newton" coll.) and ^ents. 

 32X23.5 mm,, Min. 28X20.3 and 31X20 mm. Average weight (20 eggs) 

 386 mg. (Rey). A dwarf egg in the Rey collection measures 19.7 X 15 mm. 

 and weighs 165 mg. 



[ICTERIDAE.] 



Note. Although several species of this American family have occurred in 

 Europe, it is probable that all were either escaped birds or 'assisted passengers'. 



Boboliiik, Dolichoujx oryzivorns (L.). 



Plate 25, fig. 23, 24 (United States). 



Eggs; Thienemann, Fortpfl., Tab. XXXIII, fig. 2, a, b. Bendire, II, PI. 

 VI, fig. 1, 2. 



Breeding Range: Canada from S. British Columbia to lat. 47" on the east 

 coast, the northern United States to about 115° w. Ion., but rarely south of 

 lat. 39" — 40". (Recorded twice from Helgoland.) Eggs 5—7 in number, verj^ variable, 

 almost every set being differently marked (see Bendire, II, p. 433). Average of 

 77 eggs in the U. S. Nat. Mus., 21.08X15.71 mm.. Max. 22.35X16.26 mm., Min. 

 17.53 X 15.24 mm. (Bendire). Weight 150—170 mg. (Rey). 



Cassiu's Cowbird, Molotlinis cabanisii Cass. 



Plate 15, fig. 10—18 (Venezuela, H. Rolle). 

 Breeding Range: W. Venezuela and the adjacent parts of Columbia. 

 (Recorded from Helgoland, 1. X. 99). Parasitic upon other birds (see Rey, p. 353). 

 14 examples average 22.56 X 17.79 mm., Max. 23.2 X 19.2 mm. (fig. 18), Min. 

 21.2X17 mm. (fig. 10). Average weight 300 mg. (Rey). 



Eed iringed Blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceus (L.). 



Eggs: Seebohm, Br. Birds, pi. 11; id. Col. Fig., pi. 54. Bendire, pi. VI 

 fig. 13—15. 



Saxby {Zool. 1861, p. 7540) reports unfledged young in August in Belgium. 



