482 LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



the beginning of August, comparatively few birds remaining at the end of this 

 month. 



The eggs are mostly ovate in shape, but occasionally a set is found which 

 is decidedly elongate ovate. The shell is moderately strong, close grained, and 

 without gloss. The ground color is usually pale bluish white, and this is some- 

 times faintly overlaid with pale pearl gray or grayish white. The markings, 

 which are nearly always heaviest about the larger end of the egg, consist of 

 blotches, spots, scrawls, and tracings of several shades of brown, pxu-ple, lav- 

 ender, and pearl gray, varying in amount and intensity in different specimens. 

 In the majority of the eggs before me the darker markings predominate, but 

 the lig-hter-colored and more neutral tints are nearly always present to a greater 

 or less extent. 



The average measurement of one hundred and thirty-three specimens in 

 the United States National Museum collection is 20.47 by 14.54 millimetres, or 

 about 0.81 by 0.57 inch. The largest egg in the series measures 22.35 by 15.24 

 millimetres, or 0.88 by 0.60 inch; the smallest, 18.03 by 14.22 millimetres, or 

 0.71 by 0.56 inch. 



The type specimen, No. 21670 (PI. 7, Fig. 3), Bendire collection, from an 

 incomplete set taken by Mi*. A. J. Dayan, near New Haven, Connecticut, is a 

 verv peculiarly and oddly marked egg, and is figured on this account. No. 

 24864 (PI. 7, Fig. 4), from a set of five taken in Chatham County, Georgia, May 

 21, 1890, and presented by Mr. W. F. Webb, represents a rather heavily marked 

 specimen; Avhile No. 25550 (PL 7, Fig. 5), Ralph collection, from a set of four, 

 taken in Cameron County, Texas, May 10, 1892, represents a rather light- 

 colored and an average-marked egg. 



189. Icterus galbula (Linn^us). 



BALTIMORE ORIOLE. 



Coracias galbula Linnaeus, Systema Naturae, ed. 10, 1758, 108. 

 Icterus galbula Coues, Bulletin Nuttall Ornithological Club, V, 1880, 98. 

 (B 415, C 216, R 271, C 326, U 507.) 



Geographical range: Eastern North America; north to the southern border of 

 the Dominion of Canada, from Nova Scotia and southern New Brunswick westward through 

 Ontario and Manitoba to Saskatchewan, where it reaches the northern known limits of its 

 range in latitude 55°; west to eastern Assiniboia, the eastern parts of Montana, Wyo- 

 ming^), Colorado, and Texas; south iu winter through eastern Mexico and Central 

 America to Panama. Accidental at York Factory, Keewatin, Dominion of Canada, the 

 Island of Cuba, and the Shetland Islands, Europe. 



Within the borders of the United States the breeding range of the Balti- 

 more Oriole, also variously known as "Golden Robin," "Fire-bird," "Pea-bird," 

 "Hanging-bird," and "Hang-nest," is nearly coextensive with its geographical 

 distribution, with the exceptions that it does not appear to breed at all in southern 

 Florida and is generally rare in the immediate vicinity of the Gulf coast. 



