194 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



difl'ers iu having Uack, not yellow, shoulders, and in the white markings on 

 the wings. 



HAliins. The Hooded Oriole is essentially a Mexican species, though it 

 al.so extends nortliward into Texas at the liio ( '■ ninde, and into Southern 

 California and Arizona. It was not noticed by J)r. Cones in Arizona, but 

 Lieutenant Charles Bendire found it breeding near Tucson in the summer 

 of 1872. It is abundant at Cape St. Lucas. Dr. Coojjer found that this 

 si)ecies arrived at San Diego about April 22, where tliey were not rare for 

 a fortnight afterwards, and all then retired into the warmer interior valleys, 

 where he has seen them as far to tlie north as Los Angeles. Wliile mi- 

 grating, they were generally silent. 



Captain McCown found it quite common on the liio Grande, where it 

 rears its young. When met witli in the woods and far away from the 

 abodes of men, it seemed shy and disposed to conceal itself. Yet a pair of 

 these birds were his constant visitors, morning and evening. They came 

 to tlie vicinity of his quarters — an unfinished building — at Ilinggold Bar- 

 racks, and at last became so tame and I'amiliar that they would pass from 

 some ebony-trees, that stood near by, to the porch, clinging to the sliingles 

 and rafters, frequently in an inverted position, ]nying into the holes and 

 crevices, apparently in searcli of si)iders and such insects as could be found 

 tliere. From tliis •■ 'cupation they would occasionally desist, to vatch his 

 movements. He never could induce them to partake of the food he offered 

 them. 



Lieutenant Coucli found tliis species common in the states of Tamaulipas 

 and Xew Leon. He found their nests generally on or under tlie tops of 

 the palm known as the Spanish bayonet. 



Tliis species is given by Mr. Suiniclirast as one of the birds of Vera Cruz, 

 wliere it is exclusively an inhabitant of the hot region, and where it is rarely 

 found above an elevation of eighteen hundred feet. 



Tiie.se birds were found quite abundant at Cajie St. Lucas, Lower California, 

 by Mr. Xaiitus, by whom a nun'ber of tiieir nests and egj^s were obtained. 

 The following brief meinorandii in regard to a few of these nests will serve 

 to show tlieir general position : — "Nest and two eggs, found May 20, about 

 ten feet from tlie ground, woven to a small aloe, in a bunch of the Acacia 

 prosojnti. Nest and two eggs, found ^lay 22, on a dry tree overhung witii 

 Iiops. Nest and one egg, found May ',W, on an acacia, about fil'teeu feet 

 from tlie ground. Nest with young, found on an aloe four feet high. 

 Nest and eggs, found on a mo.ss hanging out of a perpendicular bluff, on 

 the sea-coast. Nest and eggs found on a Yucca anr)nstifoUa, on its stem, 

 six feet from tlie ground. Nest and two eggs, found in a convolvulus, 

 on a i)erpendicular rock fifty feet higii. Nest and three eggs, found on an 

 acacia, twenty-five feet high." 



The eggs of tliis species vary somewhat in shape, some being obtuse and 

 more spherical, others more pointed and oblong. They vary in length from 



