448 ICTEEID^. 



feathers of the under surface have light-coloured tips which wear off very soon, probably 

 before the breeding-season has commenced. One of our specimens from Cozumel I., shot 

 on 26th April, has the feathers perfect and edged with light fuscous ; another, shot on 

 the 20th May, is almost quite black beneath, but on near inspection the ends of the 

 barbs of each feather are broken close to the commencement of the black colour. 



1. Dolichonyx oryzivorus. 



Emberiza oryzivora, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 311 \ 



Dolichonyw oryzivorus, Sw. Phil. Mag. new ser. i. p. 435°; Gould, Voy. 'Beagle/ iii. p, 106'; 



Gosse, B. Jam. p. 239"; Scl. P. Z. S. 1858, p. 73^ Ibis, 1884, p. 2"; Cat. B. Brit. Mus. 



xi. p. 331"; Salv. Ibis, 1864, p. 386 ^ 1866, p. 194°; 1885, pp. 191", 318"; Cass. Pr. 



Ac. Phil. 1866, p. 15"; Pelz. Orn. Bras. p. 199"; Baird, Brew., & Eidgw. N. Am. B. ii, 



p. 149 '" ; Cones, B. N. W. p. 178 '^ ; Key, N. Am. B. ed. 3, p. 400 " ; Scl. & Salv. P. Z. S. 



1879, p. 509 " ; Gundl. Orn. Cub. p. 97 '^ Zeledon, Cat. Av. de Costa Rica, p. 10 "; Tacz. 



Orn. Per. ii. p. 431 '°. 



Niger, nucha lata pallide eervina, interscapulii plumis fusco utrinque limbatis ; secundariis intemis et primariis 

 externis quoque fusoo marginatis ; scapularibus et dorso posfcico cum supracaudaUbus albidis, dorso medio 

 cinerascente ; remigibus nigris, ad apicem cinerascentibus ; rostro comeo, mandibula pallida, pedibus 

 corneis. Long, tota 6*0, ate 3-8, caudse 2-8, rostri a rictu 0-6, tarsi 1-0. 



5 (et mas in vestitu hiemali) supra nigra plumis singulis fusco limbatis ; superciHis et corpore subtus sordide 

 ochraceis, hypochondriis fusco striatis. (Descr. maris et feminse ex Lighthouse reef, British Honduras. 

 Mus. nostr.) 



Hal). NoETH Ambeica, Southern Canada and Eastern States to the Great Plains. — 

 Mexico, Tableland {Bullock ^), Northern Yucatan ^ and Cozumel Island ^^{Gaumer, 

 Dems); Beitish Hondubas, Northern two Cays, Lighthouse reef {0. 8.^ ^) ; Costa 

 EiCA {Zeledon'^''); Panama, Paraiso Station {Hughes''), Chepo {Arce''). — South 

 Ameeica, Colombia 1^ to Paraguay ^^, Amazons valley ^ ^^ and Guiana i^; Galapagos 

 Islands 3; Cuba^^; Jamaica^. 



Dolichonyx oryzivorus is a very familiar species in North America, as it passes over 

 the whole of the Southern States in its migrations, and breeds in the Northern States 

 and Canada. The spring migration lasts from March to May, and the autumn during 

 August, September, and part of October. In winter these birds are scattered over the 

 greater part of South America as far as Paraguay, and we have records of it in Colombia, 

 Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, the Amazons valley, and Guiana. In Cuba and Jamaica it 

 appears only as a bird of passage, as it does not remain during the winter months. 

 Gundlach says it arrives in Cuba at the beginning of September in large flocks, which 

 during their stay frequent rice-fields, doing much damage to the crops; they soon 

 disappear for the south, but return again in May for a few days on their journey north- 

 wards 18. According to Mr. Gosse their stay in Jamaica lasts during October and the 

 early part of November ; they return with the spring rains in April for a few days ^. 



The only record we have of the occurrence of this species in Mexico is that of 



