TCTERID.E — THE ORIOLES. 193 



t;xine and familiar. One that he kept thrungli tlie winter, when two months 

 ohl whisthMl with great ch'arness and vivacity. 



All the nests of this species that I have seen from (feortiia, Florida, 

 Lonisiana, or Texas, have no lining;, hut are wiiolly made (»!' one material, 

 a Hexihle kind of reed or grass. 



The sociahility of this s]>ecies is one of its most markeil characteristics. 

 xVuduhon says that he has known no less than nine nests in the same en- 

 ch>sn*e, and all the hirds living t(>gether in great harmony. 



A nest of this hird, taken in lierlin, Conn., by Mr. lirandigee, has a diam- 

 eter and a height of four inches. Its cavity is three inches in depth, and varies 

 from three to three and a half in diameter, being widest at the centre, or 

 half-way between the top and the base. It is entirely homogeneons, having 

 been elaborately and skilfully woven of long green blades of grass. The 

 inside is lined with animal wool, bits of yarn, and intermingled with a 

 woolv substance of enlirelv vegetable origin. It was built from the extrem- 

 ity of the branch of an ai)ple-tree. 



An Q<:^^ of this species, from Washington, measures .80 of an inch in 

 length by .62 in breadth. The ground is a pale bluish-white, blotched with 

 a pale purple, and dashed, at the larger end, with a few deep nrarkings of 

 dark purplish-brown. An eg^^ from New Mexico is similar, but measures 

 .79 of an inch by .54. Both are oblong oval, and pointed at one end. 



Icterus cucullatus, Swaixsox. 



HOODED OBIOLE. 



Icterus cuculhif us, Swainson, Pliilos. Mag. 1, 1827, 436. — Lawuexck, Ann. N. Y. Lye. 

 V, May, 18^)1, lU! (lirst introthu'inl into fauna of Tniteil State.-). — Ca.ssin, 111. 1, 11, 

 18r»3, 42, jil. viii. — Cooi'Kn, Oin. C'al. I, 1S70, 27r». — liAnin, Uinls X. Am. 1S58, 

 546. PcndiiUnus ciiaiUafua, UoN. Consp. 1S.'>0, 433. — Ca.'^s. Pr. 1^07, 00. 



Sp. Cifar. Both iiiamlihlos imu.-h curveil. Tail much Lnaduatotl. Wing.«, a ratlior 

 narrow hand across the back, tail, and a patch startini^ as a narrow fro'ital band, involvin<j 

 the eyes anterior half of check, chin, and throat, and ending as a rounded jKitch on tlie 

 iip{)er part of breast. I>lack. Rest of l)ody orange-yeUow. Two bamls on the wing and 

 the imIitcs of the (piills white. />;/<(//<> without the black patch of the throat ; the upper 

 parts ucnerally yellowish-green, brown on the back, beneath yellowish. Length, 7..'>0 ; 

 winir, O.2."). 



IL\i: Valley of Lower Rio Grande, southward; Tucson. Arizona (Dk. 1*ai.mki;): 

 Lower California, Cordora (Scr,. ISoO, .JOO) : (bnitennila? (Sim.. Ibis 1, 'J<»): Cuba? 

 (L.vwn. Ann. VIL b^OO, 207): San Dernardiuo, California (Coopkh, P. Cal., etc. b^Gl, 

 12'J) ; Vera Cruz hot region (Scm. 3»L B. S. I, o.kJ) ; ^fazatlan. 



The orange varies greatlv in tint and intensitv with the individual ; 

 sometimes it is deep orange-red ; often clear dull yellow, but more freijiiently 

 of an oilv orange. 



This species is closely allied to the /. auroca^illus of South America, but 

 VOL. n. 2o ' 



