icterid^ — the american orioles. 307 



Genus DOLICHONYX Swainson. 



Dolichonvx SwAMSON, Zool. Journ. iii. 1S27, 351. Type, Emheriza oryzivora LlKN. 



"Gen. Chae. Bill, short, stout, conical, little more than half the head; the commissure 

 slightly sinuated; the culmen nearly straight. Middle toe considerably longer than the 

 tarsus (which is about as long as the head) ; the inner lateral too longest, but not reach- 

 ing the base of the middle claw. Wings long: Urst quill longer. Tail-feathers acumi- 

 nately pointed at the tip, with the shatt stiiTened and rigid, as in the Woodpeckers. 



"The peculiar characteristic of this genus is found in the rigid 

 acuminate tail-feathers and the very long middle toe, by means of 

 which it is enabled to grasp the vertical stems of reeds or other 

 slender plants." {Hist. N. Am. B.) 



A pecuharity in the plumage of the only known species is that 

 while the adult male in spring is deep black varied with buff nape 

 and whitish scapulars and rump, this livery is changed at the end 

 of the breeding season for a sober one of streaked yellowish, hke 

 that worn by the female throughout the year. 



Dolichonyx oryzivorus (Linn.) 



Popular synonyms. Bob Lincoln: Skunk Blackbird (Northern States): Eeed Bird, Orto- 

 lan (Atlantic coast in Autumn); Kice Bird (South Carolina and Georgia); Butter 

 Bird (Jamaica). 



Emleriza oryzivora LiNN. S. N. ed. 10,i, 1758, 179; ed. 12. i. 1766. 311.— WiLS. Am. Orn. ii, 



1810,48, pi. 12. flgs. 1.2. 

 Dolichonyx oryzivorus Swain's Zool. Jour, iii, 1827, 351.— AuD. Synop. 1839. 138; B. Am. 

 iv. 1842. 10, pi. 211.— Baird, B. N. Am. 1858, 522: Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, No. 399.— Coues. 

 Key,1872, 154; Check List, 1S74, No. 210; B. N. W. 1874, 178; 2d Check List. 1882, No. 

 312.— B. B. & R. Hist N. Am. B. ii. 1874, 149. pi. 32,fig3. 4,5.— RiDGW. Nom. N. Am. B. 

 1881,No. 257. 

 Icterus agripennis BoNAP. Obs. Wilson, 1824, No. 87.— Nutt. Man. i,1832,185.— AuD. Orn, 

 Biog. i, 1831, 283; v. 1839, 486, pi. 54. 



Hab. Eastern North America, north to the Saskatchewan (lat. 60°), west to or even be- 

 yond the Bocky Mountains (Ruby Valley, Nevada, and Salt Lake Valley, Utiih, in Septem- 

 ber); in winter, south through Middle America, West Indies, and South America, to 

 Bolivia, Argentine KepubUc, and Paraguay; Galapagos. 



"Sp. Chae. General color of male in spring, black; the nape, brownish cream-color; 

 a patch on the side of the breast, the scapulars, and rump, white, shading into light ash 

 on the upper tail-coverts and the back below the interscapular region. The outer pri- 

 maries sharply miugined with yellowish white: the tertials less abruptly; the tail- 

 feathers margined at the tips with pale brownish ash. In autumn totally different, re- 

 sembling the fem.'tle. 



"Female, yellowish beneath; two stripes on the top of the head, .and the upper parts 

 throughout, except the back of the neck and rump, and including all the wing feathers 

 generally, dark brown, all edged with brownish yellow, which becomes whiter near the 

 tips of the quills. The sides sparsely streaked with dark brown, and a similar stripe 

 behind the eye. There is a superciliary and a median band of yellow on the head- 

 Length of male, 7.70; wing,3.83; taU.3.15." (Uist. S. Am. B. voL ii. 149.) ' 



