NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 405 



words, it is my conclusion that at least the larger Islands, Cuba, Jamaica, St. 

 Domingo and Porto Rico, are each inhabited by a distinct species. That of 

 Trinidad seems to be the same species inhabiting South America. 



3. Quiscalus baritus, (Linnaeus). 



Gracula barita, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 165 (1766). 



Monedula tota nigra, Sloane Nat. Hist. Jamaica, ii. p. 299. 



Icterus niger, Briss. Orn. ii. p. 103. 



Sturnus jamaicensis, Daud. Tr. d'Orn. ii. p. 317 (1800). 



Merops niger, iride subargentea, Brown Nat. Hist. Jamaica, p. 47G. 



Quiscalus crassirostris, Swains. Cab. Cy. p. 355 (1838). 



Quiscala vulgaris, Temm. PI. Col. Tab. Meth. p. 10 (1838)? 

 Sloane's Jamaica, pi. 257, fig. 2. Brisson Orn. ii. pi. 10, fig. 1. Gosse B. of 

 Jamaica, pi. 53. 



1. Gracula barita is a name given by Linnaeus in the 10th edition of Syst. Nat. 

 i. p. 109 (1758), and he probably describes from a specimen collected by Dr. 

 Rolander, whose name he mentions, without citing any work or manuscript 

 and without giving locality, other than " Habitat in Americse Musis, cuius fructus 

 deuastat. Rolander," which, being interpreted, means that the locality is in 

 those parts of America where plants of the genus Mum (the plantain and 

 banana) flourish. The description, very probably, is that of a bird in plumage 

 not mature, but of this group, and is applicable with about equal propriety to 

 the young of any species of the subgroup here indicated as Iloloquiscalus. Dr. 

 Rolander visited Guiana and the Island of St. Eustatius, but published nothing- 

 relating to his ornithological collections, to my knowledge It is impossible to 

 determine the species or the locality from Syst. Nat. loth edition, or in any 

 other manner in especial relation to that edition, of which the present writer 

 is cognizant. 



2. But in the 12th edition Syst. Nat. the case assumes much greater facility. 

 In this edition, i. p. 165 (1766), Linmeus cites as synonymes "Icterus niger; 

 Briss. Av. 2, p. 103, t. 10 f. i." and " Monedula tota nigra, Sloane Jam. 2, p. 

 299, t. 257, f. 2. Raj. av. 185, n. 28." 



3. Brisson, in Orn. ii. p. 103, under the name Icterus niger, describes speci- 

 mens in the collection of M. de Reaumer, from Jamaica and St. Domingo : "On 

 le trove a la Jamaique et a St. Domingue d'ou il ete envoye a M. de Reaumer 

 par M. Chervain." He gives as a synonym " Monedula tota nigra," Sloane, as 

 above cited, who described, of course, from specimens obtained in " the hot and 

 distant Island of Jamaica," and, whatever the St. Domingo bird may be, Bris- 

 son also describes and figures that of Jamaica, uow well known, and usually 

 called Q. crassirostris. 



Sturnus jamaicensis is a name given by Daudin to the bird described under 

 the name "Merops niger, iride sub-argenteo,'' by Dr. Patrick Brown, in Nat, Hist. 

 Jamaica, p. 476, which is undoubtedly this bird. Daudiu is in error, however, 

 when he gives " Monedula tota nigra," Sloane, as a different bird, though he is 

 quite correct in applying to it the name Gracula barita, Linn. (Daud. Tr. 

 d'Orn. ii. p. 320 ) 



There is, in my opinion, sufficient evidence that this species of Jamaica is 

 properly to be regarded as entitled to the name Quiscalus buriius, (Linn.) In 

 late authors this name has usually been applied to the species from Cuba, 

 which has no claim whatever. The present bird is stated to inhabit also St. 

 Domingo by Mr. Gosse, in Birds of Jamaica, p. 220, but I have seen no speci- 

 mens of it from that Island, nor from elsewhere than Jamaica. 



Numerous specimens of this species are in the collection of the Smithsonian 

 Institution and in the Academy Museum, and are exclusively from Jamaica. It 

 is rather the largest of the group inhabiting the West Indies and has the bill 

 thick in both mandibles, curved in its terminal half, commissure inflexed and 

 curved at the end of the bill ; wing long, third and fourth quills longest and 

 nearly equal ; tail long, graduated ; legs and feet strong. Male larger than 

 the female, 



1866.] 



