THE BAHAMAN EEDWING. 455 



sufficiently strong to protect them, and what the Redwings lack in strength they 

 make up in cunning, as they placed their treasures where it was impossible for 

 their enemies to get at them."^ 



In the Ralph collection of eggs are three sets taken near Lake Worth, 

 Florida, in the spring of 1894, which are undoubtedly referable to this subspe- 

 cies. They are smaller than the eggs of the Red-winged Blackbird, eight 

 specimens averaging 22.19 by 16.76 millimetres, or about 0.87 by 0.66 inch. I 

 have not figured a specimen, as they are indistinguishable from those of the 

 Red-winged Blackbird except by their smaller size. 



177. Agelaius gubernator (Wagler). 



BICOLOEED BLACKBIED. 



Psarocolius gubernator WAaLEK, Isis, IV", 1832, 281. 



Agelaius gubernator Bonaparte, Geographical and Comprexiensive List, 1838, 29. 

 (B 402, C 212a, E 261a, G 317, U 499.) 



Geographical range: Pacific Coast districts, from westeru Washington south 

 through western Oregon, and California, west of the Cascade Mountains and the Sierra 

 Nevadas to Lower California and Mexico. Casually to western Nevada and southeastern 

 California (Inyo County). 



The breeding- range of the Bicolored or Crimson-shouldered Blackbird seems 

 to be a rather contracted one. This species was first obtained in the United 

 States by Mr. J. K. Townsend, on the lower Columbia River, and its habitat 

 appears to be mainly restricted to the regions west of the Cascade Mountains 

 in Washington and Oregon and west of the Sierra Nevadas in California. Mr. 

 Walter E. Bryant reports it as breeding near El Rosario, in Lower California. 

 A few specimens have been taken at points east of the Sierra Nevadas, where it 

 has been reported as breeding near Reno and along the Truckee River, Nevada. 

 I have also reported it as nesting in the vicinity of Camp Harney, Oregon, but I 

 am now fully convinced that I was mistaken in my identification of this species, 

 and it seems more than probable that the other records are also questionable. 



It is a very easy matter to make such misidentifications, especially in speci- 

 mens not fully adult, and, after a careful study of the subject, I now believe that 

 this species does not breed anywhere east of these mountains, in the so-called 

 "Great Basin region." 



The Bicolored Blackbird seems to be pretty generally distributed through- 

 out such portions of the State of California, west of the Sierra Nevadas, as are 

 adapted to its needs, wherever water is abundant. It appears to be more com- 

 mon in the interior than in the immediate vicinity of the coast. It is especially 

 numerous in the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys, and many of these birds 

 winter there. Mr. Charles A. Allen writes me that* it ai-rives on its breeding- 

 grounds in Mai'in County, California, early in March, where it breeds abun- 

 dantly near Olema, as well as in Yolo and Lake counties. 



' Birds of Florida, etc., 1881, p. 136. 



