On some species of Birds from Cuba, 443 



22. CoRVus Jamaicensis. ? GmeL, I. p, 367. no, 24. 



Cornix Jamaicensis. ? Briss.^ Orn. II. p. 22. 7«o. 5. 



Chattering Crow. ? Lath,^ Gen* Hist. III. p. bQ, no. 59. 



Corvus nasicus. Temm, 



Corbeau nasique. Id.^ PL CoL 413. 

 The specimen in the Cuban collection which I refer to the 

 above synonyms differs from our own Corvus corone, in the follow- 

 ing particulars. The colour is black, without any metallick gloss ; 

 the bill is equal in length to that of the European species, and 

 nearly similar in shape, but it is somewhat more slender, and ap- 

 pears rather more compressed when viewed from above ; it is 

 smooth, but not shining. The bristles which cover the nostrils 

 are much shorter than in our species, and instead of lying forward 

 in a parallel direction with the bill, they point obliquely upwards, 

 their ends nearly meeting towards the culmen. The skull is much 

 smaller and more delicately shaped than that of Corv, corone. 

 The general size of the bird also is less. I have referred it to 

 the above species of Gmelin, as the first belonging to the West 

 Indian islands, that was separated from Corv. corone. The des- 

 criptions however given by the authours first cited, are too vague 

 to enable me to say decidedly that our species is identical with 

 theirs. The characters given by Dr. Latham of " toto corpore 

 artubusque nigris" or " iotus niger,^^ as given by Gmelin, may be 

 applicable to any number of species. M. Brisson, in general so 

 accurate in bis discrimination of species, fails us here. He con- 

 fines the details of his Cornix Jamaicensis merely to the dimen- 

 i3ions. Our species has been described by M. Temminck as new 

 in his ** Planches Coloriees :" but until the Corv. Jamaicensis is 

 better known it appears to me adviseable to leave the question 

 undecided. We have no example of the Jamaica bird in this 

 country. It is probable that M. Temminck has already ascertained 

 the point, but he does not clear it up. 



23. TiiOGON TEMNURus. Temm. 



Couroucou temnure. Id.^ PL CoL 326. 

 This beautiful bird, for the first description of which we are 

 indebted to the zeal of M. Temminck, seems hithertp not to have 

 been known out of Cuba. 



