ICTEHID.E — THE ORIoLK?^. 



J 7'-) 



of its artic'uliition its snii'' is lianllv excelled, rrseiuldin'' very iiearlv the 

 son;,' of the Wood Tlinisli. Mr. liiduway dt'snilifs lis iiindidalinns us ex- 

 pressed l<y the syllaMcs t ii inj-l n luj-t u iiii<ih-t il' hih-t il' luli-l ii luj, each imtc jh)\v- 

 ei'lul and disijnct. '|'||,' dincrcnrt' iM'twi-cii the nijici- iinirs «it' llic two liii<ls 

 is still greater than in th»'ir sonu:, iind even in ehara<t< r tlu'sc arc imi alike. 

 In tlie iu'tihrtti the eall-ni»te nf watcldidiiess nr alaiiii is a Imid, de«'|)-t<»ned 

 tnrl', similar to the rlnirk nf the iilarkltivd, hut niut li louder and more melallie. 

 Tliat of sympathy tor the youn^% oi' anxiety wlien tlie nest is apjiroached, is 

 a loud, li(|uid ////'/•, slightly resend»lini; the eomjilainini; note of the eastern 

 r>luel»ird, and also of the ( h(;hard Oriole. All of its notrs are of a |»o\ver 

 eorrespontliuLi to tlie size of the bird. 



Mr. l{id^^\cly also notices impoitant dilferenees in their lli^lit. That of 

 the eastern sj)eeies is earrit'il on l»y an occasional sjiasniodie heat or jerk of 

 the winj^s, which are then extended, the hird sailin^i a short distance. The 

 lliuht of the western Lark is much more irregular, the hird Hitting along l»y 

 a tremhlin*^ flutter of the ^vin,^s, never assuminir these ]»eculiar features. 



An eiri,' of this s])eeies, collected hy Dr. ('(•••per in Washington Territory, 

 June V.\ iHoG, measures 1.2(1 inches in lenuth and .SO in hreadth. It is of 

 an ohloni^'-oval sha]>e, ohtust; ; tln^ ijjround wiiite, sjKirin^ly sitotted with ji 

 very dark j)ur]de, niost of the markings heinj^ at the laiuer end. Three ejxgs 

 from Arizona, collected hy I)r. Talmer, measure l.ld inches hy .SO. The 

 markings are of nuich lighter shades of lilac, pnrjde, and ]»uri>lish and red- 

 disli-hrown. The markings are more generally dilVused, hut predominate at 

 the larger end. An egg from the Yellowstone, collected by Mr. Audul»on, is 

 unusually pointed at one end, measures l.liJ inches hy .S2. The s]»ots 

 are a dark purj dish-brown, intermingled with smaller and lighter dottings 

 of reddish-brown. Eggs from California do not vary essentially in their 

 markings from those of Arizona, and have an average measurement of l.lU 

 inches bv .85. As a general rule, the mottling of the eirgs of the western 

 bird is liner than that of the eastern. 



SrBFAMiLY ICTERINiE. 



Gknls icterus, Alct. 



Lfrnis, Riiis.soN, R. A. 1760. — Okay, Otnera. 



Xtnit/iomus, C'uviKK, L»'<;. Aiiat. Coiiip, 1800. — r.n.vY, Ooni'va. 



PcndHlinus, ViElLLOT, Aiialys<', 1S16. 



y])ha)Ues, ViKiLL(»T, Aiuilys*', 181(3. — Oi:ay, Ociiora. 



Gex. Char. Bill .«;len(lor, cloiiiratod, as k)n,Lr .*»s tin' lu-ad. L-'ciu'rally a little doourved, 

 and very acute. Taisi not lonpfcr than the mid«llt? toe, nor than the head; claws .<lu)rt, 

 much ciu'ved : outer lateral tor a little lonirer than the iinier. reachinir a little bevond base 

 of middle toe. Feet adapted lor perching. Tail rounded or graduated. Prevailing colors 

 yellow or orange, and black. 



The species of this subfamily are all as strikingly characterized by 



