100 NOUTII AMMUICAN lilliDS. 



down I'loiu nil old ciictiis. Aiin(li(!r wiis iiiu(l(^ in a liiiiu;li ot' liops, sus- 

 ])('iiil(!(l I'loiii a cactus. A tliinl was placed in a hiiiicli of weeds ^lowinj; 

 out I'roiii 11 cicfvice ill a |)er|ieiidiciilar idck. ^Viinilier, toiiiid ^^ay li'.l, was 

 built in a small tlcad tree, oveilmiio witli vines. This nest was alimit live 

 feet IVdin tlie j,'r(iuiid. A nest cuntainiii;,' I'our youii.y; liirds was I'niind placed 

 in a liiincli of nio.s.s, lian^^iiiii; out oi' u crevice in a rock. Tli(\s(! instances 

 serve to show the j^eiieral cliiiiacter of the ])ositi(in of tliei- nests. Without 

 lieiiij; ]ieiisile they are usually restiiij^ njion ]iendent hranclios, and are not 

 placed at j,n'eat elevations. 



The eu'ns measure .UO of an inch in UMigtli liy .(io in lnvadth. Their shape 

 is an oliloii,t;-oval, and they are olttuse at either end. Their j,'r(aiiid-color is 

 a dull M'hite, with a purplish or a lihiish tint. They are variraisly marked, 

 in dilfereiit e^us, with sinnll hlotches and liner dottin^s of a light purple, 

 imrplisli-browii, darker purple, and tveii black. 



Icterus spurius, r.ox. 



OBCHAHD ORIOLE. 



Oriu/ IIS npiiri 11.1, I.INN, Sy.sl. Nat. I, 17(il), ]t!'J. (Im. I, 17S8, :iS!t (very iiiiiccuriiti' de- 

 soi'ijitidii ; diily iilciitilii'il liy tlii' iclcrciiccs). Iilmis njiiiriiin, linN. ()l)s. on N'diii. 

 Wils. isi"., No. 11.- An>. Oiii. liiof,'. I, \yM, -Jl'I : V, 48.-., pi. -.lii. Iii. Uiid.s 

 Am. IV, 1842, 4(i, iii. .sxix. — li.\ii!i>, liiids N. Am. Isr.S, r.47. — .S.VMcr.i.s, 346. 

 Oriiihis niriiin, O.mki.ix, Syst. Nat. I, ITii'i, ;!!l(l. Tiifi/ii.i n/rr, (1m. Syst. 1788, I; 

 1788, 8;i. Oriii/ii.i c(i.t/,i,ifiis, I, A IMAM, Iml. Ilni. I, 17'.Ml, 181 (same citiitioiis a.s 

 U. riiriii.i, (!m.V Tiinhis jiiiiiihn Is, I.aiiiam, Iml. Oiii. I, 17!in, 'M'i\ (same citations 

 us T Urdus all- 1; (!m.). Yiilmiilis suliturin, Vii;ii.i,(rr ^. " [V ml ill in us niiji'iciiUis, 

 VlKW.l,. O. — i-irii/is. 111." (h-inliis i.iiihihis, Wii.si.N, Am. Orii. I, 1808, (J4, pi. iv, 

 f. 1 4. Xiiiil/iiirniis injiiiii, \,.\\\\\\.\i\:, AiiM. X. V. I,yi'. X. H. V, May, IS.'il, 113 

 (small rai'i' tVoin Tr.xas). /'ciiiliiliiiiis s., I'A.s.s. I'r. lS(i7, 01. J'ciiilii/iuus uj/hus, C.v.ss. 

 Vr. 1807, lil. 



Si'. (^IIAR. liill sjcudcr, iilti'i)iiati'(l, (•oiisidcralily di'i-ui'Vrd ; liui inodcratclv f;'i'adnati.'d. 

 Md/i'. tiiicc years. Head and ni'i'k all i-onnd. \viiii;s. and inter: .apniar I'cjiinii of liafk. willi 

 tail-f'cathi'is. lilai'U. Itcsl of niidor parts, lower part of liack to tail, and lesser npper 

 wiiiL'-eoverts. with the lower one. lirownish-elieslnnt. A narrow line across the winpr. 

 and the extreme ontei' edjres of ipiills, white. Fviniile. rniforni <rreenish-yellow lieiiuath, 

 olivaeeons al)ove. and lirowner ni the niiildle of the haelc ; two white; hands on the wiiisis. 

 Younu' male of two years like the ti'inale, hnt with a hroad hlaek l)ateh from the hill to 

 the npper part of the liri'asl. this color extelidinLf aloiiLr the liase of the hill so as to 

 involve the eye and all anterior to it to the hase of the liill. somewhat as in /. ciicnlhilus. 

 Len;;tli of I'enn.sylvania male specimens, 7.2"): wiiiir. .'l.'-'o. 



IIaii. I'nited States fi-om the Atlantic to the lii<;h Central Plains, proli.alily thron.di- 

 out Texas: south to fliiatcinala. Xalapa (Sci,. IS.V.l. .".lio) : Coidova (Set,. ls,-)(i, ;)(l|) ; 

 Guatemala (Sci,. Ihis. I, 20; Lawk. X. Y. Lye. IX. KM); Rio Atrato (Cass. I'. A. N. S., 

 18(it), Mil); Costa Rica (Caiiax. .1. ISdl, S) : Panama (Lawii. X. V. Lye. IWU, ;{:U) ; 

 ('nlia (Tii-Ni)i.A(ii) ; Verai;na (Sai.vix. I8!(i7, 14"Jj ; Vera Cniz, winter (Scm. M. 15. 8. 1,); 

 ^Mazatlan. 



Tills species varies oreatly in size with it.s goooniphical distriluilion. 



