552 
U. S. P. R. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 
faintly margined with brownish rusty; the wings and tail purer. In autumn both sexes have 
the black on the body, and on the edges of the wings more or less concealed (sometimes entirely 
so) by yellowish brown margins to the feathers ; the shade lighter below. There is also a lighter, 
superciliary stripe over the eye and a darker one through it. 
The Oriolus niger of Gmelin is based upon the Icterus niger of Brisson, from Jamaica, and the 
Black oriole of Pennant, from North America. The latter two are probably distinct and 
possibly refer to Quiscali, but to different species ; the one to barilus, the other to versicolor ; 
possibly, however, to Sc. ferrugineus. 
A specimen of this bird in the collection of the exploring expedition is labelled Columbia 
river, Oregon. This is the only one I have ever seen said to be from the Pacific coast. 
Length. 
Stretch 
of wings. 
Wing. 
9.33 
14.75 
4.75 
9. 17 
14. 50 
4. 75 
9. 25 
14. 00 
4. 50 
9. 00 
13.75 
4. 25 
S. 75 
13. 58 
4.25 
9. 08 
14. (10 
4.33 
9. 12 
15. 25 
4.25 
Catal. 
No. 
Locality. 
When collected. Whence obtained. 
Collected by- 
1322 
1314 
1369 
1358 
1 3f>fi 
2081 
5322 
Carlisle, Penn — 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
20 miles below Sioux City. 
April —,1844 S. F. Baird 
Mar. 28,1814 do... 
April 17, 1844 
April 13, 1844 
do 
April 8,1845 do 
Oct. 28 „J Lieut. Warren 
Dr. Hayden 
SCOLECOPHAGUS CYANOCEPHALUS, Cab. 
Brewer's Blackbird. 
Psarocolius cyanocephalus, Wagler, Isis, 1829, 758. 
Scolecophagus cyanocephalus, Cabanis, Mus. Hein. 1851, 193. 
Scolecophagus mexicanus, Swainson, Anim. in Men. 2| cent. 1838, 302.— Bon. Conspectus, 1850, 423.— Newberry, 
Zool. Cal. and Or. Route ; Rep. P. R. R. Surv. VI, iv, 1857, 86. 
quiscalus breweri, Aud. Birds Amor. VII, 1843, 345 ; pi. 492. 
Sp. Ch. — Bill stout, quiscaline, the commissure scarcely sinuated ; shorter than the head and the hind toe; the height 
nearly half the length above. Wing nearly an inch longer than the tail ; the second quill longest ; the first about equal to the 
third. Tail rounded and moderately graduated; the lateral feathers about .35 of an inch shorter. General color of male 
black, with lustrous green reflections everywhere except on the head and neck, which are glossed with purplish violet. Female 
much duller, of a light brownish anteriorly ; a very faint superciliary stripe. Length about 10 inches; wing, 5.30; tail, 4-40. 
Hab.— High Central Plains to the Pacific ; south to Mexico. Pembina, Minn. 
There are considerable differences in the bills of different specimens of this bird. The culmen 
is sometimes much curved from the very base, sometimes quite straight ; the size of the bill 
varies considerably. The third quill is sometimes longest, the first nearly equal to or 
shorter than the fourth. The graduation of the tail, too, differs by a quarter of an inch in 
specimens. 
The females and immature males differ from the adult males in much the same points as 
S. ferrugineus, except that the "rusty" markings are less prominent. The differences gene- 
rally between the two species are very appreciable. Thus, in S. cyanocephalus, the bill, though 
of the same length, is much higher and broader at the base, as well as much less linear in its 
upper outline ; the point, too, is less decurved. The size is every way larger. The purplish 
gloss, which in ferrugineus is found on most of the body except the wings and tail, is here 
