ICTEBID^ — ICTEBINM : ORIOLES. 



407 



lately woven pensile nests. With the bill relatively longer, as well as slenderer and more acute 

 than in most of the Icteridce; the feet weaker, exclusively fitted for perching. Three of our 

 species are migratory birds, abundant in summer ; the rest merely reach our southern border 

 from tropical America. 

 103. ICTERUS. (Gr. 'Urepos, ikteros, Lat. icterus, yellow. 



Fig. 262.) Orioles. Our single genus of the sub- ^^—^ 



family ; characters practically the samC; Bill averaging \ ' 



as long as head (more or less) ; very acute, sometimes 

 decurved. Feet fitted for perching, not for walking; 

 tarsus not longer than middle toe and claw. Lateral 

 toes, if not of equal lengths, outer longest (the rule in 



Fringillida;; in IcteridtE the reverse). Wings usually 



■^ji . li/n r,_iii_\ Fig. 262. — Bill of an Oriole, 



pomted and averagmg equal to (longer or snorter than) 



the rounded or graduated tail. A large and beautiful genus, the species of which vary much 

 in details of form, but are not easily divided otherwise than specifically. The colors are strik- 

 ing : the males black with orange or yellow, usually also with white ; in one species, black 

 and chestnut. The sexes very unlike. The 9 <? of several species closely resemble one 

 another, though the $ ^ are very different. Two Eastern species ; one Western ; the rest 

 Southwestern. 



Ajialysis of Species. 

 The (^ black and chestnut; spurius, apnis. 

 The J* black and orange: galbula, bullocH, cucullatus. 

 The ^ black and clear yellow : parisoruvi, audnlioni, vulgaris. 

 Feathers of throat soft and normal. 



cf black and chestnut ; J olivaceous and yellowish. Length 7.00 or leas spurius 324, 325 



cf black and orange, or flame-color. 



Tail rounded, not longer than wings. 



(^ head and neck all around black ; white on wings in bars galhnla 326 



(f crown and throat black, sides of head orange. White patch on wings .... huUocld 327 

 Tail graduated ; outer feathers an inch shorter than middle ones; longer than wings. 



<f head orange, with black mask cucullatus 328 



<f black and pure yellow. 



cf head, neck, breast and back black. Sexes unlike; length about 8.00 parisormn 329 



g 5 head, neck, and breast black ; body yellow, greenish on back ; length about 9.00 . aurJuhnni 330 

 Feathers of throat elongate and lanceolate. Se.xes alike. Length about 10.00. 



c} $ Black and yellow, with white on wings vulnaris 323 



333. I. vulga'ris. (Lat. vulgaris, vulgar, common.) Troupial. Bill acute, attenuated, elongate, 

 and somewhat decurved. Throat-feathers lengthened, loosened, and lanceolate. Bare space 

 around eye. Adult <? ? : Head and neck all around, fore breast, isolated dorsal area, wings 

 and tail, blaclc. Eump, upper tail-coverts, cervical collar, and under parts of the breast, rich 

 yellow. Wings with white patch on coverts and much white edging of secondaries. Large : 

 length about 10.00 ; wing and tail 4..50 ; bill over 1.00. A common and well-kno^TO species 

 of Tropical America, said to have strayed to the Southern States. No late cases of so doing. 

 (The species would be better enumerated next after No. 3,30.) 



324. I. spu'rius. (Lat. spurius, spurious; the species was formerly called "bastard Baltimore 

 oriole," whence the undeserved name.) Orchard Oriole. Adult ^ : Black and chestnut. 

 Head and neck all around, fore breast and back, black. Rump and upper tail-coverts, lesser 

 and under wing-coverts, and whole under-parts from the breast, chestnut or chocolate-brown. 

 Wings and tail black, former except as said, and some white or whitish edging of the quills 

 and tipping of the greater coverts, the latter forming a wing-bar ; outer tail-fe'athers sometimes 

 with a touch of chestnut. Bill and feet bine-black. Length about 7.00 ; extent about 10.00 ; 

 wing 3.00-3.25 ; tail nearly as long, much rounded, its graduation nearly 0.50 ; bill 0.70 alou^T 

 culmen, very slender and acute, somewhat decurved ; tarsus 0.90. 9 , adult : Smaller than lhe 



