73 



ones; male black with head metallic bluish purple, back metallic 

 bronze, wings and tail metallic purplish black; female similar 



but duller, and less metallic; iris white Bronzed Grackle. 



7. Tail square, the outer feathers almost or quite as long as inner ones. . . (8) 

 8. Brownish above and below with a yellowish throat and breast . 



Yellow-headed Blackbird, female. 



8. Black, brownish or slaty, without any yellowish anywhere .... (9) 

 9. Bill short and thick, its depth over half its length, plumage never 

 rusty ; male entirely glossy blue-black with brown head and neck ; 



female entirely brownish gray Cowbird. 



9. Bill long and slender, its depth about half its length or less, plumage 



often with rusty (10) 



10. Male black with a faint green gloss, and a faint blue gloss on 

 head, in winter upper parts conspicuously varied with rusty; 



female entirely dull slate, varied with rusty in winter 



Rusty Blackbird. 



10. Male black with a%deep green gloss, head and neck with a 

 beautiful violet iridescence, in winter faintly varied with • 

 grayish brown; female brownish gray without any rusty 



even in winter Brewer Blackbird. 



11. Under parts mostly bright yellow, with a conspicuous black cres- 

 cent on throat ' (12) 



11. Under parts pale yellowish or buffy without a black throat crescent. . (13) 

 12. Yellow of throat confined to space between the maxilla?; 

 upper parts dark brown with conspicuous black stripes; mid- 

 dle tail feathers with more or less confluent black bars not 



reaching to edge of feather Meadowlark. 



12. Yellow of throat spreading on cheeks; upper parts pale gray, 

 more barred than striped ; middle tail feathers with broken 



bars crossing entire feather Western Meadowlark. 



13. Back buffy olive, streaked with black, whole under parts yellowish 



or buffy ; tail feathers stiff and pointed Bobolink, female. 



13. Back dusky, streaked with rusty and buffy, under parts dull white 

 streaked with black, sometimes a buffy or pinkish tinge on throat; 



tail feathers blunt and soft (14) 



14. Smaller, with a longer, slenderer bill, wing under 4 inches, 

 depth of bill at base about g inch ; chin and throat seldom 



pinkish, and then less deeply or extensively so 



Red-winged Blackbird, female. 



14. Larger, with a shorter, thicker bill; wing over 4 inches, depth 

 of bill at base decidedly over § inch ; chin and throat gener- 

 ally pinkish, this color deeper and more extensive 



Northern Redwing, female. 



15. Tail and its upper coverts olive greenish tinged slightty with yel- 

 lowish ; female with throat dull yellow, young male with throat 



black .Orchard Oriole, female and immature male. 



15. Tail and its upper coverts dull yellow (16) 



