MOLOTHRUS. 367 



GENUS MOLOTHRUS SWAINSON. (Page 365, pi. CL, fig. 2.) 



Species. 

 {No nest, but eggs deposited in nests of other species.) 



Culmen not more than .72 ; adult males with head brown. Adult males : Head, 

 neck, and chest uniform brownish (varying greatly in tint) ; rest of plumage 

 glossy black, with a greenish reflection, changing to purplish next to the 

 brown of the neck, especially on upper back. Adult females : Plain brown- 

 ish gray, darker on upper parts, paler on chin and throat, the feathers, 

 especially on back and breast, with indistinct darker shaft-streaks. Young : 

 Above dull brownish gray, the feathers bordered with pale bufly; lower 

 parts dull light buffy, broadly but rather indistinctly streaked with dull 

 brownish gray. 



b\ Larger: Length (male) about 7.75-8.25, wing 4.00-4.60 (4.31), tail 2.90-3.35 

 (3.08), culmen .61-.72 (.66), tarsus .98-1.12 (1.05) ; female considerably 

 smaller. Eggs .87 X -66, dull white, greenish white, or brownish white, 

 speckled or spotted, more or less densely, with brown. Hab. United 

 States and more southern British Provinces; south, in winter, to southern 



Mexico 495. M. ater (Boco.). Cowbird. 



b*. Smaller: Length (male) about 7.00-7.50, wing 3.70-4.15 (3.93), tail 2.85- 

 3.00 (2.91), culmen .57-.63 (.60), tarsus .93-1.00 (.96) ; female smaller. 

 Eggs .76 X -59, colored like those of M. ater. Hab. Mexico and con- 

 tiguous portions of United States, from Texas to Arizona and Lower 



California 495a. M. ater obscurus (GMEL.). Dwarf Cowbird. 



Culmen .75, or more ; adult male with head black. Adult male : Head, neck, 

 back, and lower parts uniform glossy black, with a soft bronzy lustre, duller 

 on head; lesser and middle wing-coverts, outermost scapulars, and rump 

 glossed with violet; wings in general, upper tail-coverts, and tail glossy 

 blue-black, changing to greenish ; iris bright red ; length about 9.00-9.50, 

 wing 4.60-4.80, tail 3.70-3.80, culmen .85-.90, tarsus 1.15-1.25. Young male: 

 Entirely blackish, with distinct gloss only on wings, etc., the lower parts, 

 back, etc., without bronzy lustre. Adult female : Above dark brownish gray, 

 the feathers of back, etc., with darker, somewhat glossy centres, the wing- 

 coverts, etc., with paler margins ; lower parts lighter brownish gray, the 

 feathers sometimes showing distinct dusky shaft-streaks; length about 

 8.00-8.50, wing about 4.10, tail 3.25, culmen .75, tarsus 1.05. Eggs .88 X .72, 

 plain greenish white or dull bluish white. Hab. Mexico and Central 

 America, south to Panama, north to lower Eio Grande Valley in Texas. 



496. M. aeneus (WAGL.). Bronzed Cowbird. 



