160 Trans. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis. 



part of their range, on the ground that while their ranges origi- 

 nally diverged like forks of a Y, the ends have finally come 

 together, not as geographical intergrades, but as two forms, 

 both of which have occupied the region where they are found 

 associated at so recent a date that neither shows the effect of 

 the climatic conditions under which it lives, but exhibits the 

 characters earlier acquired. 



"In the Mississippi Valley, therefore, we have the apparent 

 anomoly of two geographical races or subspecies of the same 

 species breeding at the same place, and, occasionally associated 

 with them, are certain intermediate specimens showing in vary- 

 ing degrees the characters of both extremes. Since it is out of 

 question to suppose that the same environment could produce 

 three phases of the same species at the same place, that is, 

 neglecta, magna, and intermediates between the two, we can 

 only suppose that such connecting specimens are not geograph- 

 ical intergrades but the results of a union between neglecta and 

 magna. In fact, loosely speaking, these connecting specimens 

 would be termed hybrids, but, accepting as a definition of this 

 word "the offspring of animals of different species," it is evident 

 that in a strict sense it cannot be applied to these intermediates, 

 which are in the progeny of parents not specifically distinct." 



[501c. Sturnella magna argatula Bangs. Southern Mea- 



dowlark.] 



Geog. Dist. — Southern United States from Florida to Louis- 

 iana, north to southeastern Illinois and southwestern Indiana 

 within the limits of the Austroriparian or Lower Austral life- 

 zone. 



This smaller and darker subspecies should be looked for in 

 our southeastern counties. 



*506. Icterus spurius (Linn.). Orchard Oriole. 



Oriolus spurius. Oriolus mutatus Wils. 



Geog. Dist. — Eastern United States, breeding from southern 

 Texas and northern Florida north to Connecticut, southern New 

 York, southern Ontario, southern Michigan, southern Wis- 

 consin, central Minnesota and South Dakota; west to 100° 

 meridian. In winter to Mexico, Central America and northern 

 Colombia, Cuba. 



In Missouri one of our most common and generally distributed 



