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FAMILY AGELAIN^E 



MARSH BLACKBIRDS. 



GENUS DOLICHONYX — SWAINSON. 



RICE BIRD. 



[Bill short, thick, robust, conical ; neck short ; body rather full ; wings 

 rather long, pointed ; tail of moderate length ; the feathers rather narrow and 

 pointed ; tarsi longer than the middle toes ; toes rather large ; claws very long, 

 slender, point acute.] 



DOLICHONYX ORYZIVORA— LINN. 

 RICE BIRD 



Rice Bunting, Emberiza oryzivora, Wils. Amer. Orn. 



Icterus agripennis, Bonap. Syn. 



Dolychonyx oryzivorus, Sharp-tailed Rice Bird, Sw. & Rich. 



Rice Bird, or Bob-o-link, Nutt. Man. 



Rice Bird, Icterus agripennis, Aud. Orn. Biog. 



Specific Character — Bill stout, conical ; tarsi shorter than the 

 middle toes ; tail feathers pointed, becoming abruptly narrow 

 toward their ends. Adult male, in summer, with the head, fore 

 neck, and sides of the neck, lower parts, tail feathers, and wings, 

 black ; a broad band of brownish-yellow on the hind neck : fore 

 part of the back black, the feathers edged with yellowish, as are 

 the secondaries and their coverts — rest part of the back light gray, 

 changing to white on the rump ; scapulars white. Female with 

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