462 ICTERID^. 



fabric of great strength ; sometimes the nest is made of Tillandsia. The eggs are 

 white, variously marked and marbled with spots and blotches, and with wavy lines of 

 purplish brown. 



2. Icterus buUocki. 



Xanthornus bullockii, Sw. Phil. Mag. new ser. i. p. 436 \ 



Icterus buUocki, Scl. & Salv. P. Z. S. 1869, p. 362 " ; Ex. Orn. p. 188 ' ; Baird, Brew., & Ridgw. N. 



Am. B. ii. p. 199 *j Coues, B. N. W. p. 195"; Scl. Ibis, 1883, p. 354°; Cat. B. Brit. Mus. 



xi. p. 365'; Perez, Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1886, p. 150'. 

 Hyphantes buUocki, Cass. Pr. Ac. Phil. 1867, p. 62 \ 

 Yphantes bullockii, Duges, La Nat. i. p. 139 ". 



Aurantiaco-flavus, pileo, dorso superiore, loris et linea per oculos ducta cum gula nigris ; alis nigris, teotricibus 

 minoribus et mediis et remigum marginibus externis albis, campterio alari et subalaribus flavis, remigum 

 marginibus internis albicantibus ; cauda flava, rectrioibus quatuor mediis praeter basin nigris, ceteris plus 

 minusve nigro terminatis ; rostro obscure plumbeo, pedibus nigris. Long, tota 6-8, alae 3"9, caudae 3-2, 

 rostri a rictu 0-8, tarsi 0-9. (Descr. exempl. ex Mexico. Mus. nostr.) 



$ fusca, capite summo et cauda flavicante-olivaceis ; subtus sordide alba ; superciliis, pectore et crisso flavidis. 

 (Descr. feminse ex California. Mus. Brit.) 



Hah. WESTERif NoETH Ambeica, — Mexico 8 (Duges ^), Tableland {Bullock'^), Valley of 

 Mexico {le Strange ^), Huehuetlan [Perez ^). 



Though quite distinct in its markings from the Baltimore Oriole, Icterus hullochi 

 seems to take the place of that species in Western America from the high central plains 

 to the Pacific Ocean ; it extends northward to British Columbia, and is found as far 

 south as Central and Southern Mexico. It is certainly a migratory species in the 

 northern portion of its range, and, indeed, as far south as the Mexican frontier ; but we 

 are unable to say whether it breeds in Mexico itself or only uses that country as winter- 

 quarters. Doctor Coues saw much of this species during his visits to Arizona and New 

 Mexico, and has given an account of its habits, with special reference to its nesting ^. 

 The nest he describes as a carefully woven structure, from six to nine inches long, with 

 the hole sometimes at the top, sometimes in the side. The materials used vary consi- 

 derably — sometimes of vegetable fibre, sometimes of pine-needles. The egg is rather 

 elongated, being much pointed at the smaller end ; in colour it is pale bluish white, and 

 everywhere overrun with rather fine lines of blackish brown. 



3. Icterus abeillsBi. 



Xanthornus abeillei, Less. Rev. Zool. 1839, p. 101". 



Icterus abeillii, Scl. P. Z. S. 1860, p. 252' ; 1861<, p. 175 'j Ibis, 1883, p. 355 *; Cat. B. Brit. Mus. 



xi. p. 366 ' ; Scl. & Salv. P. Z. S. 1869, p. 362 " ; Ex. Orn. p. 187, t. 94 ' ; Duges, La Nat. 



i. p. 139 'j Salv. Cat. Strickl. Coll. p. 262°. 

 Hyphantes abeillei, Cass. Pr. Ac. Phil. 1867, p. 62 '". 



Icterus bullockii, var. abeillei, Baird, Brew., & Ridgw. N. Am. B. ii. p. 184". 

 Psarocolius costototl, Wagl. Isis, 1829, p. 757 (?)". 



