44 BULLOCK'S TROOPIAL, ORIOLE, OR HANG-NEST. 



from Mr. Townsend. He says, "it inhabits the Rocky Mountains near the 

 Black Hills and the forests of the Columbia river. In the latter place it is a 

 rather plentiful species. Its usual note consists of a single quavering call 

 somewhat like one of the notes of the Scarlet Tanager, Tanagra rubra. 

 At other times it warbles a little, but not with half the sweetness or compass 

 of its near relative the Baltimore. It is a very active species, so much so 

 indeed that it is very difficult to get a shot at it while sitting, but it is easily 

 killed on the wing. It evidently breeds here, and has probably now a nest 

 (June 16th), but I have not been able to find it. The female is rarely seen, 

 and is particularly shy and noiseless." 



Xanthornus Bullockh, Swains. Syn. of Mex. Birds, Phil. Mag. 1827, p. 436. 

 Bollock's Troopial, Icterus Bullockii, And. Orn. Biog., vol. v. p. 9. 



Male, 7i, wing, 4^. 



Rocky Mountains, Columbia river, and California. Common. Migratory. 



Adult Male. 



Bill a little shorter than the head, conical, very slightly decurved, com- 

 pressed, tapering to a veiy attenuated point; upper mandible with the dorsal 

 line almost straight, being very slightly convex, the ridge narrow, its basal 

 extremity tapering, the sides convex, the edges overlapping, the tip extreme- 

 ly sharp; lower mandible with the angle long and of moderate width, the 

 dorsal line and that of the crura slightly concave, the sides erect and nearly 

 flat at the base, convex toward the end, the edges slightly inflected, the tip 

 extremely slender; gap-line straight, declinate at the base. Nostrils elliptical, 

 with a small operculum above, in the fore part of the nasal membrane, half- 

 way between the ridge and the margin. 



Head ovate, of moderate size; neck short; body rather slender. Feet of 

 moderate length, rather stout; tarsus much compressed, with seven large 

 anterior scutella, and two longitudinal plates behind forming a very thin 

 edge; toes of moderate size, the hind toe much stronger, the lateral about 

 equal, the third and fourth united at the base. Claws rather long, mode- 

 rately arched, much compressed, laterally grooved, very acute. 



Plumage soft and blended, the feathers ovate and rounded. Wings of 

 moderate length, the first four quills nearly of equal length, the first being 

 scarcely two-twelfths shorter than the second, which is the longest, but 

 scarcely exceeds the third. Tail rather long, straight, rounded and slightly 

 emarginate, the middle feathers being one-twelfth, and the lateral three- 

 twelfths shorter than the longest. 



Bill greyish-blue, dusky along the ridge; feet and claws light blue. The 

 upper part of the head, the hind neck, and the anterior portion of the back, 



