slight difference in size and colour, between the sexes; while, in the
other species, the males and females arc remarkably dissimilar: the
month of this species is, moreover, armed with a; prominent-osseous
carina, a quarter of an fetch long, which, in the others, is much
smaller. That the Quiscalus major, and. Quiscalus baritus, should
have been confounded together, is not a l f | e surprising, as the
former is sixteen inches long, the tail being' eight inches, and
extending five inches beyond the tip of the wings,- whilst the latter
is only ten inches, the; tail much less cuneiform, four inches and
a half long, and extending but - two inches . beyond the tip o f ^ e
wings; the osseous carina is similar in these two species, and the
markings of 'the females .are^nuch 'alike,' From this statement^ it is
apparent, that the females of the largest and- smallest Crow-Blackbirds
correspond in the disposition of their-colours; a parity that
dnes not exist in the intermediate species. In comparative gtag
however, .they differ considerably; the female, of .the Aon to , though
smaller, as. we have already stated, is, -in proportion, to its mate,
considerably larger than that of the other, being only half an inch,
whilst the female of the major is nearly four- inches, -smaller.- ,
The individual .represented in the annexed plate, is a remarkably
fine one, jin the most .perfect jstate,o£ plumage, -It.therefore more
strongly resembles .the male than is usual with its sex,± wb|ph^ar&
generally much -less brilliant in colouring, and- moresSSbiyArpwn.
This bird was obtained at Great Egg-harbour on the twenty-first of
May, - and was selected a.s the best female of .several pairs, assembled
to breed at one of the identical Fish-Hawk nests, in the interstice^
of which Wilson mentions having seen them buildings One of
their nests contained three* eggs,, and the species had -not. ceased to
fay. ■ - - ■ - j ' "" "■ ^ *
■ These birds,.as we have had. occasion personally to observe, like
most of the feathered tribes, are subject to become either- wholly, or
p a r t ia l ly albinos. From this circumstance, numerous errors have
been introduced in the pages of ornithological wprks.
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER.
SYLVIA CJRLATA.
Plate Fig. 2.' ;<
Sylvia, celata, 8 ^ in Long’s Expedition to thoMocky Mountains, I, p. t6S.
Philadelphia Museum, No. 7013.
T his little.bird,, discovered, early in May, at-Engineer Cantonment,
on the .-Missouri-river, was first, described and ..named by Say;pthe
species was? not-uncommon at that season; 'an!d|'app:(^Eed .to be on its
passage, further rioxstiu It is more particularly .interesting, - inasmuch
asdt enriches the Eafinaof the-UnitediStates'witLianotfier'SpecieSiOf
the small sub-genu& Dacnis, which m ay be* ascertained by inspecting
b Ml^ftvfpres’ènled. in thé’ ÉEpfÉed plate.
The. ©range-crowned> War bier is ifuily.five JfiBêBes. long; p ^ s é lu n
in extent.- iThe bill. I s dark* hornI colour, slender, straight, entire,
and tapering .'to am acute point; the Igasb^fi »the inferior mandible is
whitish beneath; the legs.arc dusky; »the drides dark .brown. } • The
general plumage abbvetds du® ,greenish-cdive; the rump and tail
coverts being bright* yellowish-olive.-* The hfeadfe^try M-igbtly and
inconspicuously* eildStfed -- the feathers of thelofe'st af efrorafige» at base,
constituting a spot on ®|1 crown;- visible only When they are elevated,
being tipped with the common colour: , -Ther whole- bird beneath is
dull olive-yellow; the|dfffl®t0r>’ ïaill^ey^êiffS' are pure yellow. The
wings are destitute* of spots, or' bands-the: primaries are dark brown,
Olive-green on^fre exterior nfargin^ which is much paler on the
outer ones; the iftflnbr margin* is [Whitish*; the four- outer primaries
are sub-equal; the-fifth is but very little shorter. The tail i^even,
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