ICTERID.K — TIIK ORIOLES. 181 



The colors of the Orioli's are chielly hliick aiul yellow, or orange, the ving 

 sdinetiuics nuiiketl with white. Thi l'emale.s are generally much duller in 

 plumage, and tlie young male u.sually i-emains in immature dres.s till the 

 third year. In all tlie Xortli American sjiecie.s the rump is of the sauie 

 color witli the belly ; the chin, throat, and tail, black. 



In the Js'ortli American Orioles the baftimuir and hulloiki have the tail 

 but little graduated ; spnriiifi, more so, the other.s very decidedly graduated. 

 The liills of tlie two hrst mentioned are stout and nearly straight; that of/. 

 imhnioccphaluH quite similar. /. jHirisonan has the bill nu>re attenuated, 

 but scarcely more deciuved; in tipHriim it is attenuated and decurveil, mucii 

 as in vitijlcri ; this character is strongest in /. cucidlatus. The nuuli gradu- 

 ated tail is condiiued with a slender decurved bill iu 1. cucidlatus and uyir/lrri; 

 with a stmighter one in pnrifioni.in ; with a thick, nearly straight, one in iiie- 

 lanoceplwliis. The arrangement, according to the graduation of the tail, 

 would be haltiiiiorc, biil/ocki, spiirius, jmriaorum, vatjlcri, mclitnoccphiduti, and 

 CHCullutus. According to stoutness and curvature of bill, it W(udd be hul- 

 timore, vielanocephaliis, bullocki, parisorum, spurius, wai/lcrl, and ciuullatas. 



All the sjjecies have the rump and under parts yellow or orange. All 

 have the head entirely Ijlack, except bidtocki, in which its sides are orange, 

 and cucull(itii:<, wiiich has an orange crown. All have black on the throat. 

 In the species with black head and neck, all have tlie tails black towards the 

 end, excei)t bu/lurki and balfimorc. 



The females and young males are so entirely diiVerent in colors from the 

 adult males, and so similar in the ditferent species, that they can best be 

 distinguished by the details of form and size. 'l"he /. ^»us//n'/«(7rt.s' and /. 

 mclanocrphal ufi are i)laced, according to the above arrangement, in different 

 subgenera, yet the young male of the former and the adult male of the latter 

 are so perfectly sinular in colors as to be umlistinguishable in this respect, 

 and require careful examination of points of e.xternal structure to be sepa- 

 rated (see description of /. mcldnoccphalan, p. 7<S2). 



The I'oUowing synojisis may help to distinguish the North American 

 Orioles and their nearest allies, as far as color is concerned. 



Species and Varieties. 



ICTERUS. Head all ronml ilccp hliifk, shai'iily dclinoil acraiiist the yellow 

 oC tlic niip(,' ; winpr.s black, with or willioiit wliiic iiiaikiiii;'>;. liody gononiliy, 

 inchidinn; los.scr wiiiji-covort.s doop gicoiiisli-yi'llow (iiittMi.<o oriiiiiro-rud in some 

 So. til Aiiicricaii .'jpi'cifs). 



I. vulgaris. Ffiillicis of the throat (?lonfTnte'l ami laiu'iMilatc Bill loiip:er 

 tliiiii lu'ad. IJack and seapiilar.s lihu-k; i,nvati-'r coverts and tcrtials with 

 much white on outer weUs ; middle wiiiir-covert.s vliilp. Rest of plumage, 

 including lesser coverts, chrome-yellow. Sexes alike, lluh. Northern .South 



is rather well marked hy scpinri' tail and straight outlines of tin' hill, as iiidiiatcd nhove. The 

 iliirureiices an,' really so iiiiinili', and tin' ihiuartcis so viuiahle •. i*h the species, that it seems 

 entirely uiineee,s.sury to siihdiviile the gi'hu-s. 



