ICTERUS SPUR I US. 
18G 
"rcat honied owl is not, in fact, a bastard froose, or th'’ 
carrion crow a mere variety of the humming-bird ? 
These mistakes have been occasioned by several 
causes. Principally by the changes of colour to whic'* 
the birds are subject, and the distance of Europeaiu 
from the country they inhabit. Cateshy, it is troej 
while here, described and figured the Baltimore, aU* 
perhaps was the first who published figures of either 
species ; hut he entirely omitted saying any thing " 
the female, and, instead of the male and female of t‘‘* 
present species, as he thought, he has only figured tl>r 
male in two of his different dresses ; and succeedii'r 
compilers have followed and repeated the same error* 
Another cause may be assigned, viz. the extreme shj' 
ness of the female orchard oriole. This bird hi** 
hitherto escaped the notice of European naturalist*^ 
or has been mistaken for another species, or perhap* 
for a young bird of the first season, which it .aUuo* 
exactly resembles. In none of the numerous works o'* 
ornithology has it ever before appeared in its pro]>rr 
character ; though the nuile has been known to Eur*' 
peans for more than a century, and has usually be«‘^ 
figured in one of his dresses as male, and in another i*-^ 
female; these varying according to fhe lluctuati‘*r 
opinions of different writers. It is .amusing to see h<>|' 
gentlemen have groped in the d.ark in pairing thc*^ 
two species of orioles, of which the following exampi'-" 
may be given. 
Buffon’a and Latham’s Bal- / 
timore oriole. \ 
Spurious Baltimore of ditto. J 
Pennant's Baltimore oriole. 
Spurious oriole of ditto. -< 
Catesby’s Baltimore oriole. 4 
Spurious Baltimore of ditto. 
Male — IMale Baltimore. 
Female — Male orchard oriole* 
Male — Female Baltimore. 
Female — Male orchard oriole* 
Male — Male Baltimore. 
Female — Yoiinsr male Baltio^^** 
Male — Male orchard oriole. 
Female — Ditto ditto. 
Male — Baltimore. 
Female — Not mentioned. 
Male — IMale orchard oriole. 
Ditto ditto. 
