102. 
ICTERIDZ — STURNELLINZ: MEADOW STARLINGS. 405 
interruptedly to or towards the belly; some feathers around vent, and the tibie, usually yellow 
also. A large white patch on the wing, formed by the primary and many of the greater second- 
ary coverts, interrupted by black of the bastard quills. Bill and feet black. Length 10.00- 
11.00; extent 16.50-17.50; wing about 5.50; tail 4.50; bill 0.75-1.00; tarsus 1.25. In less 
perfect dress, the yellow overcast with dusky. 9, adult: Dark brown, including back of head 
and neck ; line over eye, throat and breast dull yellow, with dusky maxillary streaks ; usually 
there are whitish feathers in the yellow, and sometimes the same in the black of breast. No 
white wing-patch. Bill dark brownish horn-color ; feet blackish. Much smaller. Length 
8.00-9.50; extent scarcely 14.00; wing under 5.00; tail under 4.00. Nestlings are snufly- 
brown; the sprouting wing-feathers black, already showing white; feet flesh-color. It is use- 
less to pursue the endless color varia- 
tions ; the species is unmistakable. 
Western U. 8. and British Provinces 
to 58°; E. regularly to Dlinois, Towa, 
Wisconsin, ete., casually to Pennsyl- 
vania, Massachusetts and Greenland ; 
S. into Mexico ; migratory, very abun- 
dant. Its distribution is general on the 
prairies, but irregular; it flocks about 
ranches and settlements, and collects in 
colonies to breed in marshy spots, any- 
where in its general range. Nest a 
light but large thick-brimmed fabric 
of dried reeds and grasses, slung to 
growing ones, 5-6 inches in diameter, 
about as deep; eggs 3-6, 1.00-1.15 
long by 0.75 broad; grayish-green, 
spotted, as in Scolecophagus, with red- 
dish-brown, not scrawled as in Ageleus. el. Nichols sc.) 
A fine large species, conspicuous by its yellow head among the several blackbirds that troop 
together in the West. 
23. Subfamily STURNELLINAZ: Meadow Starlings. 
If the marsh blackbirds, orioles, and crow blackbirds be respectively entitled to represent 
subfamilies of Icteride, the meadow starlings seem to be equally entitled to such distinction ; 
and I find that by making Stwrnella (with Trupialis) the type of a subfamily, the Ageleine are 
susceptible of better definition. The characters are included under head of the type genus. 
STURNELLA. (Irregular dimin. of Lat. sturnus, astarling. Fig. 261.) MEsapow Larks. 
(Name ‘‘lark” objectionable and misleading, but apparently ineradicable.) A remarkable 
genus of Icteride. Bill along culmen longer than head, shorter than tarsus; depth at base 
about 4 the length; outlines about straight above and below, and along commissure to the 
strong bend near its base. Culmen flattened throughout, extending broad and far into feathers 
of forehead ; laterally, the frontal feathers reaching the narrow scaled nostrils. Inner lateral 
toe rather longer than outer, claw of neither reaching base of middle claw. Hind toe long, with 
a great claw twice as large as the middle one. Feet very large and stout, reaching beyond the 
end of the tail when outstretched : eminently fitted for terrestrial locomotion. Wings short and 
much rounded; little difference in lengths of 1st—5th quills; enlarged inner secondaries nearly 
covering them in closed wing. Tail very short, rounded, of narrow, acute feathers. Feathers 
of crown stiffish, bristle-tipped. No other genus approaches Sturnella, excepting Trupialis, 
