Range in Washington.—Of local distribution in eastern Washington chiefly east of the Columbia River. Rare or casual west of the Cascades. Summer resident. Authorities.—[“Yellow-headed Blackbird,” Johnson, Rep. Gov. W. T. 1884 (1885), 22.] Bendire, Life Hist. N. A. Birds, Vol. II. 1895, p. 447. Ss^r. J. Specimens.—Prov. C. P. Oh, well for the untried nerves that the Yellow-headed Blackbird sings by day, when the sun is shining brightly, and there are no supporting signs of a convulsion of Nature! Verily, if love affected us all in similar fashion, the world would be a merry mad-house. The Yellow-head is an extraordinary person—you are prepared for that once you catch sight of his resplendent gold-upon-black livery—but his avowal of the tender passion is a revelation of incongruity. Grasping a reed firmly in both fists, he leans forward, and, after premonitory gulps and gasps, succeeds in pressing out a wail of despairing agony which would do credit to a dying catamount. When you have recovered from the first shock, you strain the eyes in astonishment that a mere bird, and a bird in love at that, should give rise to such a cataclysmic sound. But he can do it again, and his neighbor across the way can do as well—or worse. When your nerves have somewhat recovered, modesty overcomes you, and you retire, not without a chastened sense of privilege that you have lived to hear the Yellow-head pop the question,—“and also you lived after.” The expiring Romeo cry is quite the finest of the Xanthocephaline repertory, but there are others not devoid of interest. _Ok-eh-ah-oh-oo_ is a musical series of startling brilliancy, comparable in a degree to the yodelling of a street urchin,—a succession of sounds of varying pitches, produced as tho by altering the oral capacity. It may be noted thus: [Illustration: music] The last note is especially mellow and pleasing, recalling to some ears the liquid gurgle of the Bobolink, to which, of course, our bird is distinctly related. [Illustration: _Photo by the Author._ MALE YELLOW HEAD.] Alternating with the last named, and more frequently heard from the depths of the nesting swamp is _gur, gurrl_; or, as oftenest, _yewi(nk), yewi(nk), gur-gurrl_. In this phrase the _gurrl_ is drawn out with comical effect, as tho the gallant were down on his knees before some unyielding maiden. The Yellow-head’s ordinary note of distrust, equivalent to the _dink_ note of the Red-wing, is _kluck_ or _koluck’_. In flight this becomes almost invariably _oo’kluk, oo’kluk_. At rest, again, this is sometimes prolonged into a thrilling passage of resonant “l” notes, probably remonstratory in character. The alarm cry is built upon the same basis, and is uttered with exceeding vehemence, _klookoloy, klookoloy, klook ooooo_.