526 
U. S. P. E. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS ZOOLOGY GENERAL REPORT. 
Comparative measurements of the species. 
A»tI:uus gubcrnator. 
Agelaius phoeniceua .... 
do 
do 
Agelaius tricolor 
do 
Agelaius icleroceplialus . 
do 
do 
Carlisle, Pa 
do , 
»t. Louis, Mo 
Carlisle, Pa 
S una Barbara, Cal. 
Sacramento Valley. 
California , 
Jano, Mexico 
Fort Riley, K. T. .. 
8.70 
7.00 
7.75 
8.60 
9.50 
4.96 
4.16 
4.75 
4.84 
5.00 
4.82 
4.24 
5.58 
5.50 
4 4y 
4.00 
3.26 
1.02 
1.05 
1.18 
1.04 
1.35 
0.74 
0.80 
0.87 
0.76 
1 .04 
0.73 
0.94 
0.74 
0.76 
0.91 
0.98 
0.89 
0.70 
0.88 
0.72 
Synopsis op species. 
Tail rounded, or graduated ; height of hill half or more than its length. Shoulders and lesser 
coverts bright crimson. 
Median wing coverts brownish yellow to the end. Bill with longitudinal wrinkles on 
both mandibles A. phoeniceus. 
Median wing coverts black for the exposed portion, brownish yellow at the base. Lower 
jaw with transverse wrinkles A. gubernator. 
Tail nearly even ; height of bill at base less than half its length. Shoulders and lesser 
coverts dark brownish orange ; median coverts white A. tricolor. 
AGELAIUS PHOENICEUS, Vieillot. 
Swamp Blackbird | Red-wing Blackbird. 
Oriolus phoeniceus, Linn. Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 161.— Gmelin, I, 1788, 386.— Lath. Ind. Orn. I, 1790, 428. 
dgelaius phoeniceus, "Vieillot, Anal. 1816. "— Swainson, F. Bor. Am. II, 1831, 280.— Bonap. List, 1838.— Ib. 
Consp. 1850, 430.— Aud. Syn. 1839, 141.— Ib. Birds Amer. IV, 1842, 31 ; pi. 216. 
Icterus phoeniceus, licht. Verz. 1823, No. 188.— Bon. Obs. Wils. 1824, No. 68.— Aud. Orn. Biog. I, 1831, 348: V, 
1839, 487 ; pi. 67. 
Psarocolius phoeniceus, Wagler, Syst. Nat. 1827, No. 10. 
Icterus (Xanlhornus) phoeniceus, Bonap. Syn. 1828, 52.— Not-tall, Man. I, 1832, 167 ; 2d ed. 179. 
Sturnus praedatorius, Wilson, Am. Orn. IV, 1811, 30 ; pi. xxx. 
Red-winged oriole, Pennant, Arctic Zool. II, 255. 
Sp Ch. — Tail much rounded ; the lateral feathers about half an inch shorter. Fourth quill longest ; first about as long as the 
fifth. Bill large, stout ; half as high, or more than half as high as long. 
Male. — General color uniform lustrous velvet black, with a greenish reflection. Shoulders and lesser wing coverts of a bright 
crimson or vermilion red. Middle coverts brownish yellow, and usually paler towards the tips. 
Female. — Brown above, the feathers edged or streaked with rufous brown and yellowish ; beneath white, streaked with brown. 
Fore part of throat, superciliary, and median stripe strongly tinged with brownish yellow. Length of male, 9.50 ; wing, 5 ; tail, 4.15. 
Hub. — United States from Atlantic to Pacific. 
The bill is nearly straight in its outlines ; the commissure, except at base, perfectly so ; the 
thickness of both mandibles the same, measured at the bend of the commissure, and perpendicular 
to the upper and lower outlines. There are faint indications of striae on the bill proceeding 
