76 How to Sex Cage Birds. 



The Hangnests (Icterinee). 



Baltimore Hangnest (Icterus baltimore). 



In the female the bill is far more slender than in the male ; she 

 is much smaller, olivaceous-greyish on back ; wing-feathers with 

 pale or white edges ; front of crown and upper tail-coverts yellowish- 

 olivaceous ; throat and centre of abdomen huffish ; breast dull orange; 

 sides and flanks and tail greyish-olivaceous ; under tail-coverts 

 orange-ochreous. 



Orchard Hangnest (Icterus spurius). 



The bill of the female is shorter, but broader at base than in the 

 male ; above she is olive, yellower on the ruinji ; wings ashy brown 

 with pale borders ; below she is olivaceous-yellow, the vent bright 

 ochreous-yellow ; tail olivaceous-greyish. 



In most of the Hangnests, which are rarely imported, with the 

 exception of /. jamacaii, the bill of the hen differs from that of the 

 cock as in the preceding species. It seems hardly worth while to 

 enumerate all which have appeared at various times in the Zoological 

 Society's Gardens. 



Brazilian Hangnest (Icterus jamacaii). 



The female is slightly smaller than the male, and not quite so 

 brightly coloured; she has a shorter bill, but is otherwise similar. 



Although the American Starlings are more often than not 

 imported singly, most of them are birds of striking appearance, and 

 confiding in their habits. In the event, therefore, of any of my 

 readers seeming what he may suppose to be both sexes, it is 

 important that he should be able to decide the matter with a view 

 to breeding the species. I see no reason why this should be 

 difficult. I base therefore indicated the sexual differences in the 

 majority of the imported species. 



Chaiteu XV. 



OLD WORLD STARLINGS (Sturnida). 



In the true Starlings the bastard primary is longer than its coverts, 

 but is not necessarily on that account longer in itself than in some 

 of the Icteridce. In 1903 1 examined various genera of Starlings in 

 the National Collection, and came to the conclusion that the sexual 

 differences exhibited by form and length of bill in these birds were 

 usually slight, but that they were of the same nature as in the 

 true Thrushes. (See Avicultural Magazine, N.S., vol. i. p. 246.) 

 The species of Mainatus are a notable exception to this rule. 



