ICTEEID^. — XXXIV. 91 



t Bill hom-blue, very acute ; black or olivaceous, with orange 

 or yellow Icterus, 6. 



If Bill blackish ; plumage every where streaked i usually a 

 rusty tinge on throat and bend of wing. 



S of Agel^us, 3. 



fft Bill jet black; plumage in s black, in $ duller, streaky, or 

 plain brown. 



X Glossy black; bend of wing red, bordered by huffy and 



whitish 3 of Agel^us, 3. 



a Black ; head and neck rich lustrous brown. 



S of MOLOTHRUS, 3. 



iXX Iridescent black throughout ; wings scarcely longer 

 than tail ; length more than 10. . Quiscalds, 8. 



an Black, often obscured by brownish or rusty; no red or 

 yellow ; wings longer than tail ; length 9 to 10. 



SCOLBCOPHAGUS, 7. 



** Length less than 7. 

 a. Dusky gray brown ; bill blackish, shortened, flnch-like. 



S of MOLOTIIRUS, 3. 



aa. Black with chestnut or orange (i), or else olive and yellow- 

 ish (?) ; bill acute, bluish or brown. . . Icterus, 6. 



/. DOLICHONYX, Swainson. Bobolinks. 



1. D. oryzivorus, (L.) Sw. Bobolink. Reed Bird. 

 Rice Bird. 3 in Spring black, neck buffy, shoulders and 

 rump ashy white, back streaky; $ and fall ^ yellowish 

 brown, streaked above, — dull yellow birds, resembling 

 sparrows but known by the acute tail feathers; L. 1^; 

 W. 4; T. 3. E. U. S., abundant in meadows northward, 

 where, in the breeding season, it is our merriest and most 

 delightful songster. Retiring southward in the fall, it 

 fattens in the rice swamps and becomes a "game bird." 



2. MOLOTHRUS, Swainson. Cow Birds. 

 1. M. ater, (Bodd.) Gray. Cow Bird. $ iridescent 

 black, head and neck glossy brown: 2 much smaller, 



