30 
YELLOW-HEADED TROOPIAL. 
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 musical. The range of the Yellow¬ 
headed Troopial is very extensive, 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 denomination 
and limits. One of Wilson’s most important nomenclatural 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 disposition. Linne consi¬ 
dered these birds as Orioli, in which he was followed by Gmelin 
and Latham, notwithstanding the remarkable difference existing 
between them and the Oriolus galbula of Europe, the type of 
that genus. Uliger, 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 Cassici. 
Linne had declared all generic names previously given to arts, 
diseases, &c. to be inadmissible in natural history; Uliger, on that 
principle, altogether rejected the name Icterus, as being pre-occu- 
pied 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 con¬ 
fusion, if he had adopted the name of Icterus, (which, with Sax- 
icola, and all other names of that class, we do not think objection¬ 
able,) instead of Jlgelaius , JPendulinus, or ITphantes, three of his 
