ICTERIDyE — THE ORIOLES. OO-? 



hmiiclios, the grass being intwiiied aroimcl ciich twig, to support the struc- 

 ture. The eggs in that regiou were seMoni I'ouiul to exceed liiree in uuiuher. 



Mr. Dresser ibund tlie Long-tailed (Irakles very conmion at ^latanioras, 

 where they Ireciiieuted the streets and yards with no signs of fear. Tiiey 

 were breeding there in great (piantities, building a lieavy nest of sticks, 

 lined with roots and grass. They were i'ond of building in conijiany, and in 

 the yard of the hcjtel he counted seven nests in one tree. At Kagle I'ass, 

 and as far east as the Nueces liiver, he found them not nnconiiaon, liut 

 noticed none i'arther in the interior of Texas. Tiieir usual note is a loud 

 and not unnielodious whistle. They have also a very ])eculiar guttural note, 

 winch he compares to the sound caused by drawing a stick sharply across 

 the quills of a dried goose-wing. 



Caj)tain jMcCown states that ho observed these Blackbirds building in 

 large conununities at Fort Brown, Texas. Upon a tree standing near the 

 centre of the jwrade-ground at that fort, a pair of the birds had built their 

 nest. Just before the young were able to fly, one of them fell to the ground. 

 A lioy about ten years ohl discovered and seized the bird, which resisted 

 stoutly, and uttered loud cries. The.se sooli brought to its rescue a legion of 

 old birds, which vigorously attacked the boy, till he was glad to drop the bird 

 and take to flight. Ca])tain McCown then went and ])ickcd up the young 

 bird, when they turned their fury upon him, passing close to his head and 

 uttering their sharj) caw. He jJaced it ujjou a tree, and there left it, to the 

 evident satisfaction of his assailants. These birds, lie adds, have a peculiar 

 cry, sonietliing like tearing the dry husk from an ear of corn. Trom this 

 the soldiers called them corn-huskers. He often saw other and smaller birds 

 building in the same iree. They were very familiar, and would frequentl}' 

 approach to within ten feet of a person. 



The eggs measure 1.32 inches in length by .92 of an inch in breadth, and 

 exhibit greiit variations both in ground-color and in the style and character 

 of their marking. In some the ground-color is of a light grayi.sh-white Mith 

 a .slight tinge of green or blue ; in others it is of a light drab, and again many 

 have a deep brownish-dmb. The markings are principally of a dark brown, 

 hanlly distingui.shal)le from black, distributed in the shape of drops, or 

 broad irregular narrow plashes, or in waving zigzag lines and markings. In- 

 ternungled with these deeper and bolder markings are suffused cloud-like 

 colorations of purplish-brown. 



