ICTERIDyE — THE ORIOLES. IQ-^ 



tame ami familiar. One lliat lu' kept tlirouyli the winter, when two iiKiMlhs 

 old wiiisllt'd with yreat eli'arne.s.s and vivacity. 



All tlui nests of this species that I liave seen from lleor<,Ma, ]'"lorida, 

 Louisianii, or Texas, liave no lining, liut are wiiolly made of one material, 

 a ilexil)le kind of reed or grass. 



The sociability of tliis s]iecies is one of its most marked cliaracteristics. 

 Audulion says that lie has known no less than nine nests in the same en- 

 closure, anil all the l)irds living togetiier in great harmony. 



A nest of this bird, taken in I>erlin, Conn., l)y Mr. l>raniligee, lias a diam- 

 oAvr and a height of four inche.s. Its cavity is tliree inches in dejjtli, and varies 

 from three to three and a half in diameter, being widest at the centre, or 

 half-way lietween the top and the base. It is entirely homogeneous, liaving 

 been elaborately and skilfully woven of long green blades of grass. The 

 inside is lined witli animal wool, l)its of yarn, and ii. rmi'!;';led with a 

 wooly substance of entirely vegetable origin. It was built .roin the extrem- 

 ity of the branch of an apple-tree. 



An egg of tliis spccjies, from Washington, measures .80 of an inch in 

 length l)y .112 in brcatlth. The ground is a i)ale Iduisli-white, blotched with 

 a pale purple, and dashed, at the larger end, with a few deep markings of 

 dark purplisli-brown. An egg from Xew Mexico is similar, but measures 

 .79 of an inch by .o4. Both are oblong oval, and pointed at one end. 



Icterus cucullatus, Swalvson. 



HOODED ORIOLE. 



Idn-iii ciicttthilHs, SwAiNsiiN, Pliilos. Mug. I, 1827, 436. — L.uvkf.nci:, Ann. N. Y. \.\\\ 

 V, May, KS.'il, lUi (lirst introiluiiMl into faiinii of I'liitcil .St;itc>). — r.vssis. 111. I, 11, 

 IS.JM, I'J, 111. viii. —Codi'i-.i!, Oin. Ciil. I, IS/d, 27,'). — lUiiM), liiids X. Am. 1858, 

 540. I'cmlaUiius viifiiUiiliis, IJuN. ('(insi), 1S50, \'A,\. — C.vss. I'r. 1^07, (iO. 



Pi'. ("riAR. ISotli iniuidililes niintli iMirvi'd. Tail iiuicli iriacluiitcd. Wiiiirs. a nillicr 

 nari'ow iiaiid across the liai-k, tail, and a patch staitiiiif as a naii'ow I'lcinlal liand, involving 

 the c^i's, aiili'iidr hal'' of chci'k. chin, and thi'oat, and cndinLT as a icmndi.'d [lalcli on llio 

 npix'i- part of lircast, lilack. Ilcst of body or,in,u:c-\cllo\v. Two hainls on (he winj: and 

 Iho cdL'cs of till' <piills white. Fciniih- williont the lihii'k patch of the throat ; the nppcr 

 pai'ls Licncrally yellow ish-ijrecn, livowii on the hack, benealh yellowish. I.enptli, 7..")l) ; 

 win^'. 3.'J."). 



Ham Valley of Lower Uio (Jrande, sonlhwaiil; Tncson, ,\i'izona (Di; 1'ai.mi:i;); 

 Lower Calil'oi-nia, ("ordora (Set,. IS.'id, .'UtO) ; (lualenn\la? (Sci,. Ibis I, 'JO); Ctilia? 

 (Lawk. .\nn. \'IL 18()t), 2(17); San itcrnardino, California ((."ooi'kh, I'. Cat, etc. 1S(J1, 

 I'il'); Vera Crnz hot refrion (.Sr.xi. >L B. .^. 1. "..■..!); ^ra/.allan. 



The orange varies greatly in tint and intensity with tlie individual; 

 sometimes it is deep orange-red ; often clear dull yellow, but more fretjueiitly 

 of an oily ortiiige. 



This species is clo.sely allied to the f. anrocaplllus of South America, but 



VOL. H. 25 



