ICTEUID.'E -THE ORIOLKS. 



149 



tail and tlie very long middle toe, by means of which it is enabled to grasp 

 the vortical stems of reeds or other slender plants. The culir of the single 

 species is black, varied with whitish patches on the upper parts. 



Dolichon^x oryzivorus, Swainson. - 



BOBOLINK; BBEDBISD ; BICEBISD. 



EmheruM onjsivorn, Linn. Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 311. — Gm. I, 1788, 850. —Wilson, Am. 

 Orn. II, 1810, 48, pi. xii, f. 1, 2. Passcrina oryzirora, Vieiixot, Nouv. Diet. XXV, 

 1817, 3. DoUchonyx orijzimra, Swainson, Zoijl. .Four. Ill, 1827, 351. — Id. F. Hor.- 

 Am. II, 1831, 278. — Bon. List, 1838. —Ib. Con.spectus, 1850, 4!7. — Ann. Syn. 

 1839, 139. — III. IHnls Am. IV, 1842, 10, pi. ccxi. — Go.sse, Birds ,Tni.\ 1847, 229. — 

 Baird, Birds N. Am. IS.'iS, 522. — Max. Cab. J. VI, 1858, 266. — Cohpek, Orn. 

 Cttl. I, 1870, 255. — Samui;i,s, 335. Icterus agripennis, Bonap. Obs. Wils. 1824, 

 No. 87. AUD. Orn. Biog. I, 1831, 283 ; V, 1839, 486, pi. liv. — Nuit. Man. I, 1832, 

 185. Idcrus (Embcrizoidts) (i'iripenni.1, BoN. Syn. 1828, 53. Dolicluimjx agripcimis, 

 Rich. List, 1837. PsarocoUus caudacutus, Wagleh, Syst. Av. 1827, 32. 



Sp. CiiAU. General color of ma/e in sprin<j, black; the nape brownish cream-color; a 

 patch on the side of the breast, the scapulars, 

 and rump, white, shading into li,<;ht ash on the 

 upper tail-coverts and the back below the inter- . 

 scapular region. The outer primaries sharply 

 margined with yellowish-white; the tertials less 

 abruptly ; the tail-feathers margined at the tips 

 with pale brownish-ash. In autumn totally 

 dlfl'crent, resembling the female. 



Female, yellowish beneath; two stripes on tho 

 top of tho head, and the upper parts through- 

 out, except thd back of the neck and rump, and 

 including all the wing-feathers generally, dark 

 brown, all edged with brownish-yellow, which 

 becomes whiter near the tips of the quills. The 

 sides sparsi^ly streaked with dark brown, and a 

 similar stripe behind the eye. There is a super- 

 ciliary and a median band of yellow on the head, 

 tail, 3.15. 



Hab. Eastern United States to the high Central Plain.s. Xorth to Selkirk Settlement, 

 and Ottawa, Canada ; and west to S.alt Lake Valley, Ut.ah, and Uuliy Valley, Nevada 

 (Ridgway) ; Cuba, winter (Caiian.) ; Bahamas (Brvant) ; Jamaica (Gossk, Sci... Oct.; 

 March, Oct., and in spring) ; James Island, Galapagos, Oct. (Golld) ; Sombrero, W. I. 

 (Lawrenck) ; Brazil (Pelzeln) ; Yucatan. 



A female bird from Paraguay (Dec, 1859) is undistinguishable from the 

 average of northern ones, except by the smaller size. Specimens from the 

 western plains differ from those taken near the Atlantic Coast in having 

 the light areas above paler, and hiss obscured by the grayish wash so preva- 

 lent in the latter ; the ochraceotis of the nape being very pale, and at the 

 same time pure. 



Dolkhnnijx onjzii'orus. 



Length of male, 7.70 ; wing, 3.83 ; 



