184 
ICTERUS SPURIUS. 
never, to my knowledge, been either accurately figured 
or described. 
The Count de Buffon, in introducing what he sup- 
posed to be the male of this bird, but which appears 
evidently to have been the female of the Baltimore 
oriole, makes the following observations, which I give 
in the words of his translator : — “ This bird is so called 
(spurious Baltimore,) because the colours of its plumage 
are not so lively as in the preceding ( Baltimore o.) In 
fact, when we compare these birds, and find an exact 
correspondence in every thing except the colours, and 
not even in the distribution of these, but only in the 
different tints they assume ; we cannot hesitate to infer, 
that the spurious Baltimore is a variety of a more 
generous race, degenerated by the influence of climate, 
or some other accidental cause.” 
How the influence of climate could affect one portion 
of a species and not the other, when both reside in the 
same climate, and feed nearly on the same food ; or 
what accidental cause could produce a difference so 
striking, and also so regular, as exists between the two, 
are, I confess, matters beyond my comprehension. But, 
if it be recollected, that the bird which the Count was 
thus philosophizing upon, was nothing more than the 
female Baltimore oriole, which exactly corresponds 
to the description of his male bastard Baltimore, the 
difficulties at once vanish, and with them the whole 
superstructure of theory founded on this mistake. Dr 
Latham, also, while he confesses the great confusion 
and uncertainty that prevail between the true and 
bastard Baltimore, and their females, considers it highly 
probable that the whole will be found to belong to one 
and the same species, in their different changes of colour. 
In this conjecture, however, the worthy naturalist has 
likewise been mistaken ; and I shall endeavour to point 
out the fact, as well as this source of this mistake. 
And here I cannot but take notice of the name which 
naturalists have bestowed on this bird, and which is 
certainly remarkable. Specific names, to be perfect, 
ought to express some peculiarity, common to no other 
