116 Wyoming Bxperiment Station. 



state. Gary reports them abundant and breeding at Newcas- 

 tle ; Aiken reports them from Sherman. 



508. Icterus buUocki (Swains.). 

 Bullock's Oriole. 

 Summer resident ; rather common in suitable places. They 

 arrive on the L,aramie plains as early as May i8th, but most 

 of them remain only a short time and pass on northward. They 

 nest at Cheyenne (Bond) and Laramie. They have been re- 

 ported as follows : Drexel from Fort Bridger ; McCarthy 

 from LaBonte creek; Grinnell from the Yellowstone park; 

 Bond from Cheyenne, and Jesurun from Douglas; Coues re- 

 ports them from Popo Agie river, Big Horn mountains and 

 river and from the Wind river. The National Museum has 

 the following specimens that have been taken in Wyoming, 

 88108, 88109, 881 17, 1 1282 and 69885. 



510. Scolecophagus cyanocephalus (Wagl.). 

 Brewer's Blackbird, 

 Summer resident; common. This is the common black- 

 bird of the state. They usually arrive on the Laramie plains 

 early in April and remain until cold weather. They favor the 

 low mountain ranges to breed in and nest usually in willows 

 along small brooks. Nests have also been found in tall grass 

 about willow trees, but not in marshy places. Some have re- 

 ported these birds breeding in the high mountains and also 

 seen as high as 13,000 feet. In Wyoming you seldom see a 

 Brewer's blackbird at an elevation of 9,000 feet. If any black- 

 bird could be considered detrimental to farming and stock 

 raising, surely this would be the one for Wyoming. There 

 are 100 of these birds to one of any of the other kinds. They 

 usually breed in isolated places away frotn ranches and towns 

 and during the rnonths of May and June live entirely upon in- 

 sects and seeds of the wild plants. When they arrive in the 

 tspring they feed about the ranches in large flocks; but what 



