80 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 



I am confident that my mode of treating it is a better way. In 

 fact, my view is simply an amplification of the judicious query 

 that Dr. Bryant inserted after the word "species" in the first 

 sentence of his original description. 



Avoiding all qualified expressions, and ignoring details, I may 

 finally recapitulate and discriminate the three insular varieties of 

 stolidus, thus: 



Yar. stolidus : Belly yellow, tail feathers edged with rufous. 



Yar. phoebe : Belly white, tail feathers edged with rufous. 



Yar. antillarum : Belby white, tail feathers not edged with rufous. 



Twenty-nine specimens examined of the several varieties, from 

 the localities above quoted. 



9. Mtiaechus tristis. 



Myiobius tristis, Gosse, B. Jam. 167, pi. 41. 



Blacicus tristis, Cab., J. f. 0. 1855, 480, et auct. 



Pyrocephalus {Blacicus) tristis, Gray, Hand-List. i. 363, No. 5536. 



Minimus inter minores, rostro lato depresso ; olivaceo-fuscus, 

 pileo nigrescente, gula e cinerea albida, ventre flavo, remigibus 

 rectricibusque minime rufo marginatis, illis extus et intus, his 

 extus nee intus. Long. tot. 5.50-G.00, alas et caudae 2.75-3.00, 

 rostri .60, tarsi .68, rostri lat. ad nares .33. 



Hab Jamaica. Mus. S. I. and G. N. L. 



Obs. The smallest species of the group, and the one showing 

 the least rufous on the tail and primaries of any of the smaller 

 ones, unless it be antillarum. There is no rufous at all on the 

 inner webs of the rectrices, but close inspection will show rufous 

 traces on the outer webs of these feathers near the base, at any 

 rate ; rufous edging is evident on the outer webs of the primaries, 

 and a very pale cast of rufous is more conspicuous on their inner 

 webs. The upper wing and tail coverts show the same thing, but 

 the edging of the inner secondaries is whitish. 



This species does not particularly resemble any of the foregoing. 

 It shows perhaps the broadest and flattest bill of any; the width 

 of the bill, at or just behind the nostrils, exceeding half its length. 

 In this respect it departs notably from 31. stolidus, its geographical 

 associate, and repeats laiorencii and nigriceps. Its affinities are 

 really closest with the last named. Although nigriceps and tristis 

 do not sufficiently resemble each other to render special com- 

 parison necessary, they are still evident geographical representa- 

 tives tristis holding the same relation to the insular forms with 



[July 16, 



