360 BIRDS — ICTEBIDJE. 



liant plumage of the male. In many households no bird is more familiar 

 or welcome; though some arrive earlier, possess more musical voices, or 

 are more confiding, none inspire the same emotions as this, when for the 

 first time in the season he alights upon the topmopt branches of the elm 

 in the door-yard, peers curiously into his dilapidated nest which still 

 swings from the drooping branch, and whistles for his lagging mate. 



The Misses Jones and Shulze give us a faithful and beautiful illus- 

 tration of the nest and eggs of this bird. From their description I take 

 the following : 



" The typical nest is truly peueile, and is sngpended from the extreme branches of an 

 overhanging limb, where, shaded from the sun by leaves above, it rocks to the gentlest 

 breeze. At other timos it is fastened to a perpendicular limb of considerable size, where 

 the smaller branches put forth. Between these two positions various others are com- 

 mon and constantly met with ; no two nests being hung in exactly the same manner. 

 The distance from the ground varies from four to seventy feet. 



During the period of nidifioation, any substance combining the proper length, thick- 

 ness and strength is in detr.and ; consequently the materials of construction are almost 

 without number, and depend to a great extent upon locality. 



In the woods, long grasses, strips of bark and vegetable fibres of different kinds make 

 up the struotnre ; but in cities and villages, or in the country, near houses, yarn, wrap- 

 ping-twine, horse and cow hairs, rags, paper and such other substances as are ready 

 prepared and accessible, are largely used. The lining is generally of hairs, vegetable 

 down, and fibres. 



The cavity varies in depth from two and three-fourths to six inches ; inside diameter 

 at the mouth, from two and three-fourths to three and three-fourth inches, increasing 

 from one-half to one inch near the bottom. 



The complement of eggs is from four to six. They measure 1.05 x .70 to ,80 x .50 ; 

 average, about .92 x .60. When blown, the ground is white, with the brightness 

 dimmed by the faintest bluish or pinkish tint, and marked with dots, lines, soawls and 

 blotches of dark brown or black, usually distributed irregularly over the surface ; but 

 often thickest about the crown, forming a wreath. 



Sub-family QUISCALIN^E. Crow Blackbirds. 



Bill slightly curved, the cutting edges iniiected. Legs longer than head, fitted for 



walking. 



Genus SCOLECOPHAGUS. Swainson. 



Bill slender, shorter than the head. Wings longer than the nearly even tail. 



SOOLECOPHAGUS FERKUGINEUS (Gm.) Sw. 



Kusty Oji-ralile. 



Quiaoalus ferrugineua, Kiktland, Ohio Geolog. Surv., 1838, 162. — Read, Pam. Visitor, 



iii, 1853, 327: Proo. Phila. Acad. Nat. Sci., vi, 1853, 395. 

 Scoleeophagus ferrugineua, Whbatott, Ohio Agric. Rep., 1860, 367 ; Reprint, 1861, 9 ; Food 

 of Birds, etc., Ohio Agric. Rep. for 1874, 567 ; Reprint, 1875, 7. — Langdon, Cat. 

 Birds of Cin., 1877, 10; Revised List, Journ. Gin. Soo. Nat. Hist., i, 1879, 176; Re- 

 print, 10 ; Field Notes, ib, iii, 1880, 125. 

 EtiBty Blackbird, Baixotj, Field and Forest, iii, 1878, 136. 



