20 PROCEEDINGS OP THE ACADEMY OP 



na, Paraguay, Brazil. Spec, in Smithsonian Museum, Washington, and Acad 

 Mus., Philada. 



About the size of, but scarcely recognizable from Buffon's figure. The spe- 

 cies is, however, entirely respectable, and entitled, by all the laws of ornitho- 

 logical genealogy, to bear the name here given. A female or young male 

 from Buenos Ayres, in Capt. Page's La Plata collection, is nearly uniform dark 

 grayish fuscous, darker and nearly black on the back, and lighter on the under 

 parts of the body. Quills and wing coverts edged very distinctly with pale 

 gray, nearly white on the edges of the quills. Bill and feet black. 



6. Molothrus discolor, (Vieillot.) 



Passerina discolor, Vieill., Ency. Meth., iii. p. 939, (1823.) 

 Molothrus atronitens, Cab., Sehotnbg. Guiana, iii. p. 682, (1848.) 



Specimens from the Island of Trinidad, and one from Cuba, in the Academy 

 Museum, seem to be the bird described by both the authors cited above. These 

 specimens are undoubtedly authentic, the former having been collected under 

 the direction of Mr. J. G. Bell, of New York, in Trinidad, and most kindly fur- 

 nished by him for examination, and the specimen from Cuba, collected by the 

 late Mr. R. C. Taylor of this Academy, in the northern part of that Island, 

 (Port Gibara, province of Holguin.) 



This bird is exceedingly like the preceding, though it is rather larger and 

 has especially large legs and feet. The color and lustres are nearly the same, 

 though the present bird seems always to have a large space on the lower abdo- 

 men, green, uniform with the under tail coverts. My opinion is that it is a 

 distinct species, though requiring further investigation. I have never seen an 

 authentic female specimen. 



Resembling 31. bonariensis, but larger. Bill rather long, upper mandible 

 slightly curved, wing long, second quill longest, tail moderate, rounded, feet 

 strong. Entire plumage black, the head and body above and below with an 

 uniform purple violet lustre, except on the lower abdomen or ventral region 

 and the under tail coverts, which have green lustre. Shoulders with purple 

 lustre. Wings and tail with green lustre not very strong, but very similar to 

 that of same parts in 31. bonariensis. 



Total length 8 to 9 inches, wing 4j to 4J, tail 3i inches. 



Hub. Trinidad, Cuba, Northern South America? Spec, in Mus. Acad., 

 Philada. 



Scarcely to be distinguished from 31. bonariensis, but is larger in all its 

 measurements, and especially in total length and in the bill and feet. Possibly to 

 be regarded as a variety of the same species. This bird has not previously 

 been noticed under any name, to my knowledge, from the island of Cuba. 



7. Molothrus purpurascens (Hahn). 



Xanthornus purpurascens, Hahn, Voeg. As. Af., &c, pt. v. pi. 4, 1819. 



Hahn, Voeg. As. Afr., &c, pt. v. pi. 4. 



Specimens from Callao, Peru, collected by the late Dr. Gambel, others 

 labelled as from Callao and Lima, and others labelled " Mexico " in Acad. 

 Museum. This is a species about the size of the two preceding, but readily 

 distinguished from them by its large strong bill, and the golden yellowish- 

 purple lustre of the under parts of the body. It is a clearly distinct species, 

 and appears to be the bird figured by Habn, as above cited, whose figure is 

 rather too short, but in form generally, and especially the thick strong 

 bill, and the color of the upper parts, is a fair representation. The immature 

 plumage is entirely different from that of either of the preceding. 



Rather larger than 31. bonariensis, and about the size of 31. discolor, and 

 easily distinguished by its stronger bill and the golden purple lustre of the 

 plumage of the under parts of tbe body. Bill rather long, strong upper man- 

 dible slightly curved, wing long, with the third quill longest, tail moderate, 

 not so much rounded as in the preceding species. 



Entire plumage black, head above and upper parts of body with a violet 



[Mavch, 



