294 BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, ETC. 



3. Under parts bright lemon yellow. 



4. Tail shorter than wing 1 , graduated for less than length of bill. 



parisorum, p. 294. 

 4'. Tail longer than wing, graduated for more than length of bill. 



audubonii, p. 294. 

 3'. Under parts orange yellow or orange red. 



4. Malar region and streak over lores yellow or orange. 



bullocki, p. 298. 



4'. Whole head black galbula, p. 297. 



1'. Plumage black and brown . spurius, p. 296. 



Subgenus Icterus. 



503. Icterus audubonii Giraud. AUDUBON OBIOLE. 



Adults. Under parts bright lemon yellow with sharply contrasting black 

 head, chest patch, wings, and tail ; back varying from lemon yellow to 

 yellowish green ; wings with white edgings and yellowish green on cov- 

 erts ; tail graduated and narrowly tipped with lighter. Young : without 

 any black, upper parts olive-green, under parts yellow. Male: length 

 (skins) 8.45-9.20, wing 3.79-4.03, tail 4.04-4.18, bill 1.01-1.11. Female: 

 length (skins) 8.00-9.30, wing 3.70-3.86, tail 3.92-4.17, bill .86-1.04. 



Distribution. Resident from southern Texas to central and eastern 

 Mexico. 



Nest. Semi-pensile, woven of fine, wiry grasses and lined with grass- 

 tops, hung usually 6 to 14 feet from the ground in mesquite trees, thickets, 

 or open woods. Eggs : 3 to 5, pale bluish or grayish white, with light hair 

 lines of brown and dark purple ; or else the ground color obscured by 

 pale purple suffusion, blotched and streaked with brown and lavender. 



Mr. Attwaterhas twice found the Audubon oriole near San Antonio 

 in the high pecan timber, and considers it a rare winter wanderer. 

 Dr. Merrill states that it is resident in the lower Rio Grande Valley 

 near Brownsville. In summer, he says, it is usually found in deep 

 woods away from houses, but in winter is less shy and retiring. 



504. Icterus parisorum Bonap. SCOTT ORIOLE. 



Adult male in spring and summer. Black, except for bright lemon yel- 

 low belly, shoulders, posterior parts of back, and white and yellow mark- 

 ings on wings and tail ; rump and upper tail coverts usually tinged with 



olive. Adult male in winter : like 

 summer male but white markings on 

 wings broader ; feathers of back more 

 or less edged with gray ; rump and 

 Fig. 362. upper tail coverts more strongly 



washed with olive or gray ; flanks tinged with olive. Adult female : under 

 parts greenish yellow; upper parts olive green, becoming yellowish on 

 rump and outer tail feathers, marked with grayish brown on back ; wing 

 crossed by two white bars, and quills edged with whitish. Immature male : 

 plumage varying from that of female to that of male, according to age. 

 Young of year : similar to adult female, but with all the wing feathers 

 edged and tipped with white, wing band yellowish, tail tipped with yel- 

 low, breast obscured by brownish, and yellow of under parts paler and 

 greener. Male : length (skins) 7.40-8.30, wing 3.88-4.20, tail 3.12-3.62, 

 bill .S2-.97. Female: length (skins) 7.25-8.00, wing 3.72-4.02, tail 3.20- 

 3.48, bill .80-.90. 



