RICE BIRD. 287 



yellow. Fore part of the back black, the feathers margined with yellow, 

 as are the secondary quills and coverts. Lower back, tail-coverts and 

 scapulars, pure white. 



Length 7 inches, extent of wings 11 ; bill along the ridge ■j'^j, along 

 the gap I ; tarsus 1 1, middle toe 1 ^. 



Adult Female in summer. Plate LIV. Fig. 2. 



The female is somewhat less than the male, and differs greatly in the 

 colours of the plumage, the upper parts being light yellowish-brown, lon- 

 gitudinally streaked with blackish-brown, the under parts pale greyish- 

 yellow, the sides longitudinally marked with dark brown. There is a 

 broad band of dark brown on each side of the head, beneath which is a 

 yellowish streak over the eye, and a blackish spot behind it. The quills 

 and tail-feathers are wood-brown, the former, as well as the coverts, mar- 

 gined with yellowish. 



Notwithstanding the somewhat greater length of the bill, this bird 

 evidently approaches very nearly to the genus Emberiza, or is one of the 

 connecting links between it and the genus Icterus. The female in co- 

 lourino- bears a striking resemblance to Emberiza miliaria. 



The Red Maple. 



Acer rubrum, Willd. Sp. Plant, vol. iv. p. 984. Pursh, Flor. Amer. vol. 1. p. 265. 

 Mich. Alb. Forest, de I'Ainer. Sept. vol. ii. p. 210. PI. 14 — Octandria Mono- 

 GYNiA, Linn. Acerine^, Juss. 



This species, which is known by the names of Red Maple and Swamp 

 Maple, is distinguished by its five-lobed or three-lobed leaves, which are 

 cordate at the base^ unequally and deeply toothed, and glaucous beneath ; 

 its sessile umbels, elongated pedicels, and smooth germens. The flowers 

 and seeds are red. It is very extensively distributed, and in the Swamps 

 of Pennsylvania and New Jersey attains a height of from sixty to eighty 

 feet. When young, the bark is smooth, and covered with large white 

 spots, but it ultimately cracks and becomes brown. The wood is hard 

 and close, and takes a good polish. It is extensively used for various 

 purposes. 



