THE NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY. I23 



An abundant summer resident, arriving early in April and de- 

 parting in October. 



The range of the Cowbird covers North America from the 

 Atlantic to the Pacific, and from the southern portion of the 

 British Possessions southward, in winter, into Mexico. 



Genus XANTHOCEPHALUS Bonaparte, 1850. 



Zanthocephalus zanthocephalus (Bonap.) Yellow-headed Blackbird. 



Icterus scantliocephalus Bonaparte, Journ. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 



V, 1826, 223. 

 Agelaius xanthocephahis Sw. & Rich., Fauna Bor. Amer., II, 1831, 



281. 

 Icterus ioterocephalus Bonaparte, Amer. Orn., I, 1835, 27, pi. 3. 

 Xanthocephalus ioterocephalus Baird, B. N. Amer., 1858, 531. 

 Xanthocephahis wanihocephalus Jordan, Man. Vert, ed. 4, 1884, 92. 



A common summer resident, arriving the last of April and 

 departing in September. This Blackbird once nested in vast 

 numbers in the Calumet region but is becoming scarcer each 

 year, for the smaller marshes and lakes are being rapidly drained 

 for commercial and agricultural purposes. Unlike the Red- 

 winged Blackbird, the male of this species is very shy during the 

 breeding season. 



The range of this species covers western North America from 

 Wisconsin, Illinois, Kansas and Texas to the Pacific coast, and 

 from the Sakatchewan River southward into Mexico. It is also 

 a casual visitor to some of the eastern states, Florida and Cuba. 



Genus AGELAIUS Vieillot, 1816. 



Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus.) Red- winged Blackbird. 

 Oriolus phaniceus LiNN^trs, S. N., ed. 12, I, 1766, 161. 

 Agelaius phoeniceus ViEnxor, Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat., XXXIV, 



1819, 539. 

 Icterus phceniceus Dattd., Lieht., Verz., 1823, No. 128. 

 Popular synonyms : Red- winged Starling. Swamp Blackbird. Eed- 



SHOTJLDERED BLACKBIRD. 



The, Red-winged Blackbird is an abundant summer resident, 

 arriving early in March and departing when the severely cold 

 weather sets in. 



The range of this species includes temperate North America, 

 from the Fur Countries southward, in winter, as far as Costa 

 Rica. It breeds in suitable places from Texas northward nearly 

 throughout its range. 



