400 SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. — PASSEBES—OSGINES. 



Grackles (Quiscalus). (See any figs., beyond.) Excepting the arbtireal orioles, the feet are 



large and strong, fitted for the more or less terrestrial life which all the species lead, walking 



on the ground with ease instead of hopping like most Fringillidce. No specialties of wing or 



tail; former usually pointed, latter rounded, sometimes very large and fan-shaped. 



Among our moderate number of species are representatives of four of the subfamilies into 



which the Icteridis are conveniently and quite naturally divisible. In most of the genera black 



is the prevailing color, — either uniform and o{ intense metallic lustre, or contrasted with 



masses of red or yellow. In Sturnella alone the pattern is " niggled." In nearly all, the sexes 



are conspicuously dissimilar, the female being smaller and brownish or streaky iu the iridescent 



black .species, greenish and yellowish in the brilliantly colored ones. AJl are migratory in this 



country. Other details are best given under heads of the subfiiniilies. These groups, with 



their compcjnent genera, may be analyzed as follows by tlie salient features more likely to 



attract the attention of the student than less obvious technical characters : — 



Analysis of Subfamilies and Genera. 



AGEL^ElNiE. Marsh Blackbirds. Terrestrial and gregarious. Bill conic-acute, sometimes quite fringilline, 

 shorter or scarcely longer than liead. Feet stout. 



JJobolinks. Se.\es unlike in summer. Black and buff, or yellowisli ; no red. Tail-featbers very acute. 



Tarsus shorter than middle toe and claw Doliclwnyx 98 



Cpvbh-ds. Se-xes unlike. Lustrous black J*, brown $ ; no red or yellow Molothnis 99 



J'Jai'khh-'ls. Se-xes unlike. Lustrous black J", red on wing ; streaky $ ; no yellow . . . Agelmus 100 

 Jilackbirds. Sexes unlike. Lustrous black cf, brown $, both with yellow head . Xanthocephalus 101 

 STUltNELLiNiE. Meadow Larl:s. Teirestrial and imperfectly gregarious. Bill of peculiar shape. Tail very 

 short. Feet large and stout. 



Sexes alike. Motley-colored, extensively yellow below StumitUa 102 



IcTERlN.ai:. Orioles. Arboreal, non-gregarious. Bill extremely acute, sometimes dccurved. Feet weak. 

 Sexes uidike, 



Blaclv, with yellow or orange or chestnut in masses, in the (f ; $ greenish and yellowish . . Icterus 103 

 QuisoALiXiE. Crow Blackbirds. Terrestrial and gregarious. Bill elongate, corvine. Feet stout. Color 

 of (^ entirely iridescent black ; $ browm or blackish. 



Bill shorter than head ; oven tail shorter than wings Scolecophagus 104 



Bill not shorter than head ; graduated tail not shorter than wings Quiscalus 105 



22. Subfamily ACEL>EIN/E: Marsh Blackbirds. 



Gregarious, granivorous species, more or less completely terrestrial, and chiefly palustrine, 

 not ordinarily conspicuous vocalists ; building rather rude, not pensile, nests, laying 4-6 spotted 

 or curiously limned eggs. With the feet strong, fitted both for walking and for grasping 

 swaying reeds ; the wings more or less pointed, equalling or exceeding the tail in length ; the 

 bill conic-acute, shorter or little longer than the licad, its cutting edges more or less infiected. 

 Four well-marked genera, the species of which abound in the United States, on plain and 

 prairie, in marsh and meadow. In the West, they swarm about the settlements, stage stations, 

 military posts and other detestabb^ places. 

 98. DOLICHO'NYX. (Gr. SoXt^or, cloHchos, long: om^, onux, claw.) Bobolinks. Sexes 

 unlike, but only in the breeding season : ^ black, buff and white ; 9 brownish and yellowish. 

 BUI short, conic, friugiUine, not nearly as long as head. Wings long and pointed, 1st and 2d 

 quiUs longest, others rapidly graduated. Tail stiffened, with rigid very acute feathers, almost 

 bke a woodpecker's, shorter than wing. Teet stout; tarsus shorter than middle toe and claw ; 

 claws all very large. One remarkable species, though there are several others in tropical 

 America ; noted for the peculiar changes of plumage and the "mad music " of the ,J ; abundant 

 in marsli and meadow of the Eastern U. S. 

 312. D. oryzi'vorus. (Gr. opvfa, oruza, Lat. oryga, rice ; voro, I devour. Fig. 257.) Bobolixk. 

 Meadow -WINK. Skunk Blackbiri>, Northern States. Reed-bikd, Middle States. Eice- 

 BIRD, Southern States. $, in breeding plumage: Black; cervix buff; scapulars, rump and 

 k\ ' upper tail-coverts ashy-white ; interscapulars streaked with black, buff, and ashy ; outer quills 



