186 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Icterus melanocephalus, var. auduboni, CiiKAin. 



AUDUBON'S ORIOLE. 



Icterus aiuliih)iu, Oii:Ari>, SixttM-n X«'\\ SiMMi»s Texas Hinls, 1841 (imt i»a<^»'tl). — BAinD, 

 lUnls N. Am. 1858, .'»4l2. -- Cassis, Vv. A. N. S. 1S»;7, r>:i. X'dithnmns iiohiuini /iha- 

 Itis, I'xiN. Consjt. IS.'id, 4.'{-l (not the dt'sciiption of the youii^K Irtmts Dn/'niiKr/i/id/us, 

 Cassin, 111. 1, V, lb.>4, 1^7, 1>1. xxi ^tlit- (lf.Mii|iti(»n, but iK-rliaps not the li^iiiv). 



iSp. Tii VR. Bill stout ; upper .iikI lower outlint's very little curved dowuwanls. Tail 

 much <rr:iiluute(l. Head and neck all round (this color extendini,' down on the tlnoat). 

 tail and winys black : rest of body, under winjjf-eoverts, and middle and lcs>cr upper 

 coverts, yellow ; more olivaceous on the back. An interrupted band across the ends of 

 the ifreater winif-covi-rts, with the terminal half of the eilL,a's of the ([uills, white. Sup- 

 posed female similar. l)ut the colors less vivid. LeULrth, \K'2'>: wiuir, 4.00; tail, 4.<i'>; 

 tarsus, 1.1(». 



II AB. Valley of the Lower Rio Grande oi' Texas, southward ; Oaxaca (.ScL. 18o9, 38) ; 

 Xalapa (.^ei,. 132) : Vera Cruz (temperate regions; Simiciirast, M. IJ. S.). 



Tliis bird is ]>erliaps rathef a local rare riiirm'r as more Boreal) of /. 

 nuhnioccpJialas^ of Southern Mexico. The dillereiices are imlicated in the 

 foot-note. 



The adult male of this species can Be distinniii-^lied fmiu the youn«^ male 

 of /. 2f>^o.sf/tfnti/<(s uidy hy stouter and less decurved bill, stronger feet, and 

 l)lack instead of vellow middle winii-coverts. 



Haiuts. This hnuds:«»iie and ratlier recent addition to our fauna is a 

 Vor*^ ' ..,^iin s])ecies, which extends north to tlie valley of the Itio 



v^.. ...y; and into Texas, from various localities in which it has been ja-ocured. 

 Lt. 1). N. Coucli, wlio found this species common from the Lower Kio Grande 

 to the Sierra Madre, speaks of tlie strong mutual attachment sliown by the 

 sexes. He describes its soui' as soft and melancliolv, and the notes as re- 

 sembling pi'ut-jxw-if. The sweetness of its notes renders it a favorite as a 

 caged l)ird. In the State of Vera Cruz tliis bird is gi\en by Sumichrast as 

 inhabiting the temperate regions, and as there having exclusively their centre 

 of propagation. They are very common in tne district of Orizaba, where they 



^ Icterus nielanocrphal us, (Jjiay. Psarocolius viclanwcphulus, Wa(;lei:, Isis, 1829, 756. 

 Icterus vulcowcephatus, Gkay, Oeiiera. — Sclateii, Pr. Zoiil. Soc. 1858, 97. — Cassin, Pr. A. 

 N. S. 1807, 53. — Baikd, Birds X. Am. 1858, 543. XniUhoriius nuhiiioccphnlus, B(»n. Consp. 

 1850, 434 (description of young onlyK i Icterus (jradudCdHil-t, Lr.ssox, Rev. Zoiil. 1839, 105. 



Sp. Char. Similar to /. auduhoni, but without any white whatever on tlie wing. Head and 

 neck all round, wings, scapulars, and tail, uniform j)ure black. Hest of Inidy, including in- 

 side of wing and tibia and the lesser wing-coverts, orange-yellow ; clouded with olivaceous- 

 green on the back, less so on the rump. Bill and legs plumbeous, the fonner whitish at base. 

 Length, 770; wing, 3.75 ; tail, 4.80. Hub. Warm parts of Mexico. 



Very like the auduln-mi, but smaller, the bill nmch stouter, .shorter, and the culmeii more 

 curved. The third «piill is longest ; the fourth, fifth, ami secoml successively a little .shorter ; 

 the lirst and .seventh about e([ual. The black of the head and neck cones farther behind and 

 on the sides than in auduboni. The wings are totally destiiute of the white edges of quills and 

 coverts as seen in oudubani, and the middle covTts are black instead of pure yellow. The tail, 

 too, is entirelv black. 



