. American ornithology, or, The natural history of the birds of the United States [microform]. Birds; Oiseaux. i 168 YELLOW-HEADED TROOPIAL. I. and Buffon approach the nearest to the real magnitude; but they arc mere masses of black, surmounted by a yellow cap; those of Brisson and others, are considerably smaller. As that striking character, the white spot on the wing, is neither in- dicated in the figure nor description of any author, we might have been induced to believe that our species is different from the South American, if a close comparison of the two had not proved their identity. An
. American ornithology, or, The natural history of the birds of the United States [microform]. Birds; Oiseaux. i 168 YELLOW-HEADED TROOPIAL. I. and Buffon approach the nearest to the real magnitude; but they arc mere masses of black, surmounted by a yellow cap; those of Brisson and others, are considerably smaller. As that striking character, the white spot on the wing, is neither in- dicated in the figure nor description of any author, we might have been induced to believe that our species is different from the South American, if a close comparison of the two had not proved their identity. Another circumstance might have been equally deceptive : Brisson, who gave *be first account of this bird, from a Cayenne specimen sent to Rdaumur'a Museum, and who seems to have been copied by ail subsequent authors, states its length to be less than seven inches, a size considerably inferior to that of the living bird. Had this admeasurement been taken from a recent specimen, we could hardly hesitate to believe our bird distinct;; but as he had only a dried skin, and as Buffon's figure represents a nearer approach to the size of nature, we conchnle that Brisson's esti- mate is not to be implicitly relied upon. Vieillot, who never saw the bird, states the length to be six inches and a half, and refers it to his genua Vnuhilmiis, but it certainly belongs to his genus Ayelaiua. The male Yellow-headed Troopial is ten inches and a half long. The bill is dark horn color, anil formed exactly like that of the Iled-winged Troopial. The feet are black ; the irides dark brown. The whole head, neck, and breast, are brilliant orange-yellow, more vivid and seri- ceous on the head, and terminating in a point on the belly ; the fea- thers around the base of the bill, the chin, and a wide stripe passing from the bill through the eye, are black. The remaining parts, except- ing some feathers of the belly, and some of the under tail coverts, which are yellow at biuse, arc glossy black, very sligh
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectbirds, booksubjectois
