2 Chapman, A New Oriole from Mexico. [jan" 



yards long and, in addition to the four specimens secured, at 

 least one more adult male was seen. 



Whether the birds also occurred in favorable areas beyond the 

 heavy forest I am unable to say, since the surprising abundance 

 of bird-life near the river claimed all our time and attention. 



In the same bit of second growth from which the four specimens 

 of Icterus fuertesi were taken I collected a perfectly typical adult 

 male Icterus spurius, a circumstance which suggests the possi- 

 bility of the two male specimens of the proposed new bird being 

 aberrant examples of that species. Opposed to this theory, 

 however, are the following facts: (1) The two adult males secured 

 are essentially alike, the third, which was well seen, was of the 

 same buffy color, while examination of very large series of adult 

 Icterus spurius reveals no specimen approaching those represent- 

 ing the proposed new species. (2) The four specimens of Icterus 

 fuertesi are all smaller than any specimens of Icterus spurius which 

 I have examined, as the appended table of southern breeding birds 

 shows, while the Tame'si specimen of Icterus spurius (as well as 

 an adult male taken by Mr. Fuertes in the Tamiahua Lagoon, 

 April 17, 1910) agrees in size with specimens of Icterus spurius 

 from Texas. (3) The four specimens of Icterus fuertesi had the 

 sexual organs much enlarged and were evidently about to breed, 

 while in the specimens of Icterus spurius the sexual organs were 

 but slightly increased in size. In short, it is believed that the 

 specimen of Icterus spurius, taken with Icterus fuertesi on April 5, 

 was a northbound migrant, a belief supported by observations 

 made in the spring of 1891 at Corpus Christi, Texas, where Icterus 

 spurius was first noted as arriving from the south on April 5. 



It may be added that the song of Icterus fuertesi, while unmis- 

 takably of the Orchard Oriole type, differs materially from the 

 song of that species. It is less rich and loud, and lacks a certain 

 distinctness of articulation and finish which characterize the song 

 of Icterus spurius. 



The type of Icterus affinis Lawr. (Am. Mus. No. 41954) has the 

 chestnut-colored areas of rather exceptional richness and depth. 

 It was taken at Brownsville, Texas, by J. P. McCown, evidently 

 in the spring, although the label lacks date. Its small size, how- 

 ever, would indicate that it was a breeding bird, and we have 



