186 NORTH AMERICAN RIR])S. 



Icterus melanocephalus, var. auduboni, fiiKAun. 



AUDUBON'S OBIOLE. 



Icterus audiilioiii, Oikaimi, Sixtiin New S|iciiis Ti'Xiis HirclH, 1811 (not |iiij,'i'(l). — Raihd, 

 Birds N. Am. 1858, 542. - -Cassis, I'r. A. N. S. 18(17, ."<:i. .X'liilln'niin nir/iDUKr/iliii- 

 lus, HiiN. Cons]!. 18,"i(i, 4;i4 (nut tlir (Icsi'iiiilimi of the yniiiif;). Hi'nin iinhiiim-i/i/di/iix, 

 Casstn, 111. 1, V, 1S.'>4, l;i7, |il. x.\i (llir (li'Miiption, but pcrliaps not the lif^iiic). 



Sp. Ci'Aii. liill stout; u])])!.'!- iviiil Inwcr (nitliiii's very little I'lirvod ildwinvar.ls. Tail 

 niiicii uTii 'iiiited. Head and ium^Iv all round (lliis oolor uxti'iidiiij;- down mi llic tliioal), 

 tail, and \viMj;s biauk : rest of liody, under \vinii;-i;overts, and uiiildle and Ics.scr u]iiM'r 

 eoverls, yellow ; more olivaceous ou the baek. An interrupted baud across llie ends ol" 

 the greater wiiift-covcrls, wilb llic tci'iniiud lialt' of tlie cd^cs of llic ([uills, wliite. Sup- 

 posed female similar, but tbe colors less vivid. riCii^tb, !t.'J."): wini:, -i.UO ; tail, 4. ().">; 

 tarsu.s 1.10. 



Hah. Valley of the Lower Rio r!raud(> of Texas, southward ; Oaxaca (!Sci.. 1859, 38) ; 

 XalapM (Set,. 132) : Vera ("rui', (lenipcialo reirious; SfMicuuAST, M. 1!. 8.). 



Tlii.s bird i.s pei'lmp.s rutln'v a lucal race (lai'ocr as more boreal) ol" /. 

 mcliinoccphalits^ of Southeru Mexico. Tlie dinereiices are indicated in the 

 foot-note. 



Tlie adult male of this .species can he distin,i,'ui.shed from the young male 

 of /. pros//iniir/((s only by stouter and le.ss decurved bill, stronger feet, and 

 l)la('k insteiid of yellow iniddle wino-coverts. 



IIa1!IT.'<. This liaiidsoine and rather recent addition to our fauna is a 

 Northern Mexican sjiecies, which extends north to the valley of the Jfio 

 (h'ande and into Texas, from various localities in which it has been procured. 

 Lt. 1). N. Couch, who iuuiul this species common from the Lower Ilio Grande 

 t(» the Sierra Mtidre, speaks of the strong mutual attachment shown by the 

 sexes. He describes its song as soft tuid melanclioly, and the notes as re- 

 sembling pcitt-jH)ii-if. The sweetness of its notes renders it a favorite as a 

 caged bird. In the State of Vera Cruz this bird is given by Sumichrast as 

 inhabiting the temperate regions, and as there having exclusively their centre 

 of propagation. They are very common in the district of Orizaba, where they 



' Icterus melanocephalus, (ii!AV. I'.iiirdco/his mchnunrphiilK.i, \VA(a,i;i:, Isi.s, 1829, 7.")(i. 

 Icterus meld iiuceplm I us, (iiiAV, (iiMiera. — ScLArKli, Pr. Zoiil. Soc. ls.58. '.•7. — Cassin, Pr. A. 

 N. S. 1807, ti'i. — liAlIiii, iiinls X. Am. 1858, 54:i. X(nitli<iniiis nielditoce/ilinlus, liox. Cousi). 

 1850, 434 (description of young only). I Icterus ((radunmnda, Lksson, Itcv. Zoiil. 1839, 105. 



.Si'. ChaI!. Similar to /. auduhmii, but without any white whatever i>n the win;;. Head and 

 neck all round, wings, scapulars, anil tail, uniforni ])ure bhutk. liest of body, including in- 

 side of wing and tibia and the lesser wing-eoverls, onnige-ycOlow ; clondeil with olivaeeons- 

 gre'U on the back, less .so on the rump. Hill and legs plumbeous, thi' I'ornK'r whitish at ba.se. 

 Length, 7.70 ; wing, 3.75 ; tail, 4.80. Ilab. Warm parts of Xlc^xieo. 



Very like the auduhoiii, but smaller, the bill much stouter, .shorter, and the eulmen more 

 curved. The third cpiill is longest ; the fourth, tilth, and .second suce<'ssively a little shorter ; 

 the first and seventh about eipnd. The black of the head and neck comes farther behind and 

 on the sides than in ninluliDtii. Tbe wings arc totally destitute of the white edges of i[uills and 

 coverts a.s .seen in auduhani, and the middle coverts are black instead jf pure yellow. The tail, 

 too, is entirely black. 



