KED-WINGEB BLACKBIRD. 355 



over, it is a very little while afterward when the whole band goes trooping after food 

 in the nearest cattle-yard or pasture." 



During July these birds disappear for a season, and where they go and 

 what they do, has never been certainly discovered. I am somewhat of 

 the opinion, from having seen them in great numbers during that 

 month in the mountains of Pennsylvania, that like many others with- 

 out family cares, they go to the mountains to rusticate and keep cool. 

 In September and October they reappear on their way south, often in 

 immense close flocks. 



The eggs of the Cow-bird are white, more or less thickly spotted or 

 dotted with ashy -brown ; they are generally of a rounded oval form, nearly 

 equal in size at both ends. Usually a single egg is deposited, but as 

 many as five have been found in a nest. How many eggs the female 

 lays in a season would be an interesting but difficult fact to ascertain. 



Genus AGEL^US. Vieillot. 

 Bill, with culinen parting the feathers of the forehead, as long as the head, shorter 

 than tarsus. Wings pointed, reaching to end of lower tail- coverts, second primary 

 longest. Tail rounded. 



Agel^us PHCENICEUS (L.) V. 

 Ked-winged. Bla,ck.bird. 



letetus phomiceus, Kirtland, Ohio Geolog. Surv., 1838, 162. — Eead, Pam. Visitor, iii, 1853, 

 319 ; Proo. Phila. Acad. Nat. Sci., vi, 1853, 395. 



Agelaius pkceniceus, Wheaton, Ohio Agrio. Kep. for 1860, 366 ; Reprint, 1861, 8. — Lang- 

 don, Revised List, Jour. Gin. Soo. Nat. Hist., i, 1879, 176; Reprint, 10. 



Agelcsus pTuBuieeus, Wheaton, Food of Birds, etc., Ohio Agrio. Rep. for 1874, 567 ; Reprint, 

 1875, 7. — Langdon, Cat. Birds of Cin., 1877, 9. — Jones and Shclze, IUus. Nests and 

 Eggs of Ohio Birds, Plate 5, Part 2, 1879. 



Red-winged Blackbird, Ballou, Field and Forest, iii, 1878, 136. 



Oriolus phceniceus, LlNN^us, Syst. Nat., i, 1766, 161. 

 Agelaius phcmioeus, Vibillot, "Analyse, 1816." 

 Icterus phceniceus, "Daudin," Light., Verz., 1823. 

 Ageltmis pluenieeus, Coues, Key, 1872. 



Male uniform lustrous black; lesser wing-coverts scarlet, broadly bordered by brown- 

 ish-yellow or brownish- white, the middle row of coverts being entirely of this color and 

 sometimes the greater row likewise are mostly similar, producing a patch on the wing 

 nearly as large as the red one. Occasionally there are traces of red on the edge of the 

 wing and below. The female smaller, under 8 ; everywhere streaked ; above blacklsh- 

 browu, with pale streaks, inclining on the head to form median and superciliary stripes ■ 

 below whitish, with very many sharp dusky streaks ; the sides of the head, throat, and 

 the bend of the wing, tinged with reddish or fulvous. The young male at first like the 

 female, but larger; apt to have a general buffy or fulvous suffusion, and bright bay 

 edgings of the feathers of the back, wings, and tail, and soon showing black patches. 

 Length, 8-9; wing, 4^-5; tail, 3i-4. 



Habitat, Temperate North America. 



