ICTKltlD.K — THE ORIOLIOS. 163 



coiuinoii Olio sounds liku cxm-c ii r-cc. IWit tlicre is also an almost endless 

 miiigliiif; (if <,'iiUiiral, eieakiiiij;, or clear utteiauces that defy descrijition. 



Their eggs vary greatly in size; the largest measures l.(J8 inches by .82 of 

 an inch, the smallest .'.»() liy .(i,".. They average about an inch in length and 

 .77 of an i (cli in lireadth. They are oval in shape, have a light-bluish 

 ground, and an niarbleil, lined, and blotched with markings of light and 

 dark purple and lilack. These markings are almost wholly about the larger 

 end, and are very varying. 



Agelaius phoeniceus, \ar. gubernator, Uox. 



CBIMSON-SHOTTLDEBED BLACKBIBD. 



Psarocolius guhcriuUor, \VA(iLi;ii, Isi.s, 1S32, iv, 281. Jijr/iiiiis fiuheniiiloi; Hon. List, 1838. 

 — 111. Cons|.c(!tu.s, 1850, WO. — Ai:i). Syii. 183<.l, HI. — In. liinls Am. IV, 1812, 2!», 

 1)1. (;i;xv. — Xkwukury, 1'. ]{. I!. Hep. VI, iv, 1,S,".7, 8<i. - liAiiili, I'.irds N. Am. 18,'.8, 

 52U. — IIi;i;u.M. X, S, 53 (iirst). — C(kiim.1!, Oni. Cal. I, 1870, 2ti3. Idenis (Ziiiillwr- 

 nus) (jubcruutui; XrnAi.i., Man. I, (2d cil.,) 181U, 187. 



Sp. Ciiah. Bill rather shorter than tlio head, without any longitiulinal .iiilci, l)ut with 

 faint traces of transvorso ones at the base of the lower jaw. Tail rounded. First quill 

 nearly equal to the fourth. 



Male. Throughout of a liistrou.s velvety-black, with a <j;reeni.'<h rellcction. The lesser 

 coverts rich cninson ; the middle coverts brownish-yellow at the base, hut the exjioscd 

 portion black. Wing, "i.OO ; tail, .'J.OO; cuhnen, .00; tarsus, 1.10. 



Female. Nearly iinilorin daik slaty-brt)Wii ; an indistinct su|ieiciliary strijie, an indica- 

 tion of a iiia.\illary stripe, and blended streaks on chin and throat delicate pale jieach- 

 blos.soin pink, this on the juguluin interru|)ted by dusky streaks running in longitudinal 

 series; lesser wing-coverts tinged with dark wine-red. Wings with just appreciable 

 paler edges to the featiiers. Wing, 4.20 ; tail, 3.20. 



Haii. Pacilic Province of Unit "d States, and Western Mexico, to Colima; Western 

 Nevada (Hiugwav). ? Xalapa (Sclater, ISfjO, 305). 



In the female and all the immature stages, the dusky beneath is largely 

 in excess of the light streaks; the superciliary light stripe is badly defined, 

 and there is no trace of a median light strijie on the crown. 'J'liese charac- 

 ters distinguish this race from plnrniccKn ; while the rounded instead of 

 S([nare tail, and brown instead of pure white border to middle wing-coverts, 

 distinguish it from corresponding stages of tricolor. 



Hauits. The Crimson-shouldered lilackbird was first met with by ^Ir. 

 Townsend, on the Columbiii liiver, where two sjiecimens were oljtiiined, 

 which were described by Mr. Audubon, in his Synopsis, in ]8:;>9. No infor- 

 mation in regiird to its habits, distribution, or nesting, was obtained by either 

 Mr. Townsend or liy his oomiianion, Mr. Xuttall. 



This species, or local race, whichever it is considered, occurs from the Co- 

 lumbia Iiiver south throughout California. It is given doubtingly as also 

 from the Colonido liiver, but Dr. Cooper was only able to detect there the 

 common pluuniceiis. According to the observations of that careful natural- 



