22 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OP 



in Voy. Am. Mer. Ois., p. 36?. It is with doubt that I arrange this bird as 

 representing a subgroup, and am not without a suspicion that it is more 

 properly to be placed in the group Lampropsar. The only specimens that I 

 have seen are those of M. D'Orbigny, above alluded to, and this species seems 

 to be little known to naturalists. 



5. Lampropsar. 



(Genus Lampropsar, Cabanis, Schombg. Guiana, iii. p. 682.) 



10. MOLOTHRUS TANAGRINUS, (Spix). 



Icterus tanagrinus, Spix, Av. Bras., i. p. 67, (1824). 



Icterus violaceus, De Wied, Beitr. Naturg : Bras., iii. p. 1212, (1831). 



Spix, Av. Bras., i. pi. 64, fig. 1. 



Total length about 1h inches, wing 4, tail 3 to 3A inches. Entire plumage 

 black, with a nearly uniform purplish blue lustre on the head and body, above 

 and below, wings and tail with a green lustre. Bill and feet black. 



The smallest of several species of this genus, and brought abundantly io 

 collections from Brazil. In the various specimens now before me, this bird 

 presents a uniform purplish blue lustre, by which it can be easily distinguished 

 from either of the two species immediately succeeding. It has not quite the 

 fine purple and violet lustre of either of them. Numerous speeimens in the 

 Academy Museum. 



11. Molothktjs gcianenbis, (Cabanis). 



Lampropsar guianensis, Cab. Schombg. Guiana, iii. p. 682, (1848). 



Total length about 8 inches, wing 3f to 4, tail 3i inches. Rather larger 

 than the preceding, with the wing rather shorter, comparatively, and third 

 quill slightly longest. In the specimens before me, this species is easily dis- 

 tinguished from the preceding by the violet purple lustre of the head and of the 

 upper and under parts of the body. Wings and tail with greenish lustre, 

 darker than in the preceding. In colors, this species resembles the nest suc- 

 ceeding, though scarcely more than half the size. It appears to be from 

 Northern South America. 



Specimens of this species are in the Academy Museum, and in the collection 

 of that distinguished and excellent Ornithologist, Mr. George N. Lawrence, of 

 New York. 



12. Molothrus Cabanisii, nobis. 



Lampropsar dives, Cab. Mus. Hein., p. 194? (nee Bonap.) 

 Total length about 10 inches, wing 5 to 5^, tail 4| inches, bill strong, 

 though of the same general form as in both the preceding. Entire plumage 

 black, head and body, above and below, with a fine violet purple lustre, and 

 having a golden tinge on the under parts. Wings and tail with a dark green 

 lustre, bill and feet black, claws ratber long and slender, but very sharp. 



Easily distinguished from the two preceding species by its much larger size, 

 and, in the specimens now at my disposal, the plumage is the most lustrous, 

 the golden violet purple in the present bird being especially a distinguishable 

 feature. I am not confident that this is the bird alluded to by Dr. Cabanis as 

 Lampropsar dives, as above cited, but regard it as probable. It is smaller than, 

 and generically distinct from the bird which seems to be L. dives, Bonap. 

 Comp. Av. i. p. 425, now well known as a bird of Mexico and Central 

 America, (and which I regard as the same as Quiscalus sumichrasti, De 

 Saussure). 



One specimen in the Acad. Mus. is from Guiana, and another in the col- 

 lection of my friend Mr. Lawrence, is from Santa Martha, New Grenada; 

 others in Acad. Mus. are without indication of locality, though the species is 

 singularly uniform in characters in all the specimens now under examination. 

 To this handsome species I have taken the liberty of applying the name of my 

 excellent friend and correspondent, Dr. Cabanis, of Berlin, not so much 



[March 



