by a yellow cap; those of Brisson^and others, are considerably
smaller.
As that striking character,4.the white spot on the wing, is neither
indicated M the figurenor description'^Lapy ahthor,we might hayfe
been induced to believe that oun.specipsik different from the South-
American, if a close comparison of the |w|) had not proved their
identity. Another circumstance.might have been equally^IccjeplJLv-e:
Brisson, who gave the first account rqf this, bird, from a Cayenne
specimen sent to Reaumur’s Museum, and who seems Jo have been
copied-by all subsequent authors, utatp/ its lengthjto be-less than
seven imu^ );Ujsi^f Consider ably interior to that, qf- the living,bird.
Had this admeasurement been taken from a" recehit specimen,, yle
could hardly hesitate tj^#>elieve our bird distinct; b u t ^ h e had only
a dried skin, and as Buffon’s-figure represents a nearer-approaoli-djl
the size of nature, w,e conclude that BrissonV estimate is mot to l|i|
implicitly relied: .ip p iw Yieillot, who never say* llit- bird,^ slut&
the length tM le^six inches and a half, and refers h^Aq his gti^us
Pendulinus, but it certainly belong? to h j | genus ^Lgelaius-
The male Yellow-headed Troopial i i and a h a lf RWg^
TJhe bill is dark hjdiai colour! and formed S c t l y like- that of- the
Red-winged Troopial, The feet are black; the iryles dark-hj|jwn.
The whole head, neck, and breast, are brilliant Qrange-y.eU.^'nd.'Jr,
vivid and serjeeons. on the head, and terminating jn - a{pohih on the
belly; fthe feathers around the base of the bill, the ehin, and a wide*,
stripe passing from,the bill through the eye, are black. The remaining
parts, excepting sopije; feathers of t^^hejly, and some th the under
tail coyerts^whi.ch are .yellow at base, are glossy black, very.slightly
tinged with brownish. - Some of the exterior wing coverts are pure
white with black, tips, 'Constituting two very remarkable white spots
on Ae. wing, the larger of.$which is formed by the greater coverts of
the primaries, and the smaller one by tbe middling coverts. The
firjst, second, and third primaries, are longest and equal. The tail
is four inches long, slightly rounded, the two middle feathers being
somewhat shorter than those immediately adjoining. This character
Wilson remarked in the Red-winged Troopial; and, as other notable
traits are7 common tMBjo.ih spe'cies/ ^ëfn|jjiVt regard them, not only as
congeneric, but as, %$fy closely allied species of the same sub-genus.
They differ, however', ih< êölond, and the Yellow-headed Troopial is
larger, having the i'b il^ fê tl and! dfS^rsl consequently stronger, and
the*first pi inidj^&longLr than»,the, *s|f$óiïd4'and third, or at least as
long; %hçr^§5ajn;the'Red-winged, the third S^he longest.
The female of our Troopial* is< eigHÉ|n|hes< ând a quarter long, a
size remarkably inferior to that Of the male, and exactly corresponding
>vithftlic difference existing between the ^éxeêi èf the Red-winged
Troopial. The bill and>’l®vet^aife proportionally smaller than those of
the- the^irides are dark brown. The
general,.cppj^tïs'finifôrm^daÿ^brown .àjj made lighter on the margin
■f^eayl^i^^hqnt The frontlet» is« grayis®;f^|dgin<3u4, as^Well as a line
over the confluent on the âu^cl^lwith a broad line of the same
G©|ÿu%^^giiig6ben4âth.A5%^f5î incMâir£^-' £■ blackish Space varied
with grayish. An abbreviated blackish line proceeds, from each side
of«, the lower, mand^b’ffif|!the chin« and throat are whitish; on the
breast,ijf*h,'large çotmifed patch, of a pretty vivid yellow, occupying
nearly all" if^^qrface, and é^uëhdin'g a* little on the neck. 1 On the
lower part of the br'êâst, and beginning of the belly/ the feathers
are skirted with white®®ne form of the wings and tail is the same
as in thé male ; ^KSfmh'gS' are immaculate. • .
The young of thfêsjra^es are ‘similar to the 'féihaïéj>bÈiéyoung
male gradually changing jtô, the| rich adult* cqyfering.» -'
The YelloV-hëaded Trbôpialÿâ|sÿemblb ih/||pÿ!fô- flocks, which, in
all their varied' movements and Résolutions-, present appearances
similar td> those of thé? Rèd-wiriged, which havebèen so well described
by^Wbl.oü-1 They are much ort thé ground/like the Cow Troopial,
(jGoW Bunting of Wilson); on dissection/their Stomachs havé been
found filled with fragments^ of sipfffi hîsëôts,- whijm seèm- to constitute
their chièf food, though doubtless they also feed on vegetable
VÖL. i.—H