290 
YELLOW-HEADED TROOPIAL. 
their stomachs have been found filled with fragments of small 
insects, which seem to constitute their chief food, though 
doubtless they also feed on vegetable substances. Their notes 
resemble those of the red-winged troopial, but are more mu- 
sical. The range of the yellow-headed troopial is very ex- 
tensive, as it is found from Cayenne to the river Missouri ; 
although it passes far north in the western region, yet it does 
not visit the settled parts of the United States. 
The fine specimens represented in our plate were killed 
near the Pawnee villages, on the river Platte, where they 
were seen in great numbers about the middle of May. The 
males and females were sometimes observed in separate flocks. 
We adopt the genus Icterus, nearly as it was established by 
Brisson, and accepted by Daudin and Temminck. Authors 
have variously estimated this genus, both in regard to its de- 
nomination and limits. One of Wilson’s most important no- 
menclatural errors consisted in placing one of the species under 
the genus Sturnus, with which it has but little similarity, if we 
except some of its habits, and particularly its gregarious dis- 
position. Linne considered these birds as Orioli, in which he 
was followed by Gmelin and Latham, notwithstanding the re- 
markable difference existing between them and the Oriolus 
galhula of Europe, the type of that genus. Illiger, and some 
other naturalists, considering that bird a Coracias, appropriated 
the name of Oriolus to our Icterus, and separated from it the 
largest species, which he called CassicL Linne had declared 
all generic names previously given to arts, diseases, &c. to be 
inadmissible in natural history ; Illiger, on that principle, alto- 
gether rejected the name Icterus, as being pre-occupied by a 
disease. This may account for the introduction of new names 
for genera, one of which, at least, ought to have retained its 
first appellation. Vieillot, however, would have caused less 
confusion, if he had adopted the name of Icterus, (which, with 
Saxicola, and all other names of that class, we do not think 
objectionable,) instead of Agelaius, Pendulinus, or Yphantes, 
three of his four genera corresponding to our Icterus, But, if 
