ICTERIDJE. 365 



2.60-2.90, exposed culmen .95-1.00, tarsus 1.15-1.25. Nest in holes of trees, about 

 buildings, etc. Eggs 4-7, 1.17 X -83, plain pale greenish blue or bluish white. Hob. 

 Europe and northern Asia ; accidental in Greenland. 



493. S. vulgaris LINN. Starling. 



FAMILY ICTERID^E. THE BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, ETC. (Page 321.) 



Genera. 



a 1 . Outlines of bill nearly or quite straight, the tip not decurved, the commissure 



neither inflected nor sinuated. (Subfamily Icterince.') 

 b l . Bill stout, conical, its depth through the base equal to at least one-third the 



length of the culmen. (Agelaice.~) 

 c l . Tail-feathers sharply pointed at tips; middle toe, with claw, longer 



than tarsus Dolichonyx. (Page 366.) 



c 2 . Tail-feathers not pointed at tips ; middle toe, with claw, not longer than 



tarsus. 



d 1 . Bill much shorter than head, its depth through base equal to 

 about half the length of the exposed culmen, the latter dis- 

 tinctly convex ; plumage uniform blackish or dusky, streaked 



only in young Molothrus. (Page 367.) 



d*. Bill nearly as long as head, its depth through base less than half 

 the length of the exposed culmen, the latter very straight; 

 sexes remarkably different in size. 



e l . Claws smaller, the lateral ones scarcely reaching to base of 

 middle one ; first quill shorter than fourth ; plumage of 

 male uniform black, with bright red lesser wing-coverts; 

 of female, dusky, more or less streaked with white. 



Agelaius. (Page 368.) 



e 2 . Claws larger, the lateral ones reaching to beyond base of mid- 

 dle one; first quill longer than fourth (sometimes longest) ; 

 plumage of male uniform black, with yellow head, neck, and 

 chest, and white wing-patch ; of female, dusky, with yel- 

 lowish throat and chest... Xanthocephalus. (Page 368.) 

 6 2 . Bill slender, its depth through base decidedly less than one-third the length 



of the culmen. 



c 1 . Tail less than two-thirds as long as wing, the feathers sharp-pointed ; 

 wing short, the tertials lengthened (reaching almost to tips of pri- 

 maries) ; bill long (longer than head), slender, the culmen much flat- 

 tened; feathers of top of head with stiffened, glossy shafts; out- 

 stretched feet reaching beyond tip of tail ; color above brownish, 

 barred and streaked with black, beneath yellow, with a black 

 crescent on chest, the sexes not essentially different. 



Sturnella. (Page 371.) 



