ICTERID.E — THE ORIOLES. 17;; 



wiiig-foverts coiuM^Ior with tlir uin;^s (insteml of very tlccidiMlIy 

 iiior*' liluisli); Iduck Imrs df t«'rtiiils and tail-loutluTs druu, narrow, 

 and isolatfil. White of sides, Hanks, ai.d crissnni n«'arly pure. 

 llah. Wcsi.'m l.'nited States and Western Mt'xiru . var. uetjlerfn. 



In nnif/nif and /i>;//iif(t, tht* feathers of tlie pectoral crescent are "generally 

 black to the l>ase, their routs being grayish-white ; one specimen of the 

 former, however, from North Carolina, has the roots of the featliers yellow, 

 forl)i(Uling the ann(»uncement of this as a (iistinguishing cliaracter; nuxicnna 

 may have the l)ases of these feathers either yellow or grayisli ; while hijijuj- 

 crqti^ has only the tips of the feathers black, the whole concealed portion 

 being briglit yellow. 



In mrxircfnu, there is more of an approach to an orange tint in the yellow 

 than is nsually seen in inoijnii, Imt sjtecimens from Georgia have a tint not 

 distingnishable ; in both, however, as well as in hipporrepis, there is a deeper 

 yellow than in najkcta, in which the tint is more citreous. 



As regards the l>ars on tertials and tail, there is considerable variation. 

 Sometimes in either of the species opposed to najlcvta by this cliaracter 

 there is a tendency to their isolation, seen in the last few toward the ends 

 of the feathers ; bnt never is there an approach to that regularity seen in 

 ueglcctu, in which tliey are isolated nnifornily evervwliere they occnr. Two 

 specimens only (r)4,or)4 Caliiornia and 1^,^)1G Pembina) in the entire series 

 of nt'f//rita show a tendency to a l)lending of these bars on the tail. 



Matjiw, mcricana, mcri^limmUs and hippocrepU, are most similar in colora- 

 tion ; nqfleda is most dissimilar ('om]iared witli any (d' the otliers. Tiiough 

 each possesses pecnliar characters, they are only of degree ; for in the most 

 widely different forms (nrf/hrfrt and nir.rirantf) there is not the slightest 

 departure from the })attern of coloration ; it is only a matter of extension or 

 restriction of the several colors, or a certain one of them, that produces the 

 differences. 



Eacli modification of plumage is attended In' a still greater one of ])ro- 

 jiortions, as will be seen from llie diagnoses : tints, thoiigli my/crfa is the 

 largest of the group, it has actually the smallest legs and feet ; with nearly 

 the same general pvoportions, uuKjiut exceeds it in the latter respects 

 (especially in the bill), while mexinnm, a very nuich smaller bird than 

 either, has disproportionally and absolutely larger legs and feet tmited with 

 the smallest size otherwise in the whole series. Mt ridionalis j)resents no 

 differences from the last, except in proportions of bill and feet; for wl>ile 

 the latter is the sniiillest of the series, next to tirt/lnta, it has a bill nuich 

 exceeding tliat of any other. 



The markings of the upper plumage of the young or even winter birds 

 are different in i)attern from those of the adult ; the tendency being toward 

 the peculiar features of the adult nfi/hrfa ; the various species in these 

 stages being readily distinguishable, however, by the general characters 

 assigned. Mexkana and luy/rda are both in i)roporti(Uis and colors the 



