( 485 ) 



ORCHARD ORIOLE. 



Icterus spurius, Bonap. 



PLATE XLII. Vol. I. p. 2^1. 



Dr Bachman informs me, that he has kept this bird in aviaries for 

 several years, and that although the birds of this genus are supposed 

 to be of a plain colour in winter, he has ascertained that this species at 

 least preserves throughout the winter the plumage it possessed in sum- 

 mer. 



In a male preserved in spirits, the roof of the mouth is slightly as- 

 cending, with two longitudinal ridges; the posterior apertvire of the nares 

 oblongo-linear with the edges papillate ; the upper mandible with three 

 prominent lines, and four grooves, the tongue is 6 twelfths long, sagittate 

 and papillate at the base, narrow, channelled above, the tip deeply slit 

 and lacerated. The oesophagus is 2 inches 2 twelfths long, its greatest 

 breadth 3 twelfths. The stomach is very small, roundish, compressed, 

 5 twelfths long, i twelfth broad; its muscles thick, the epithelium 

 thin, tough, longitudinally rugous, reddish-brown. The contents of 

 the stomach are insects. The intestine is 6 inches long, from 1| 

 twelfth to 1 twelfth in breadth. The cceca 1 twelfth long, i twelfth 

 broad, 8 twelfths from the extremity. 



The trachea is 1^ inch long, much flattened, 1 twelfth broad at the 

 upper part ; its rings 65 with 2 dimidiate. Bronchi of about 10 half 

 rings. The muscles as in the other species of this group. 



