318 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology. 



Baird's Oriole has always been extremely rare in collections, in fact 

 besides our series there exist only Cory's original specimens and two 

 in the Tring Museum that were collected by Taylor when he visited 

 the island in 1896 for the Hon. Walter Rothschild. 



The species seems to be on the verge of extinction. Why this is 

 I can offer no suggestion. Certainly I. leucopteryx is common enough 

 in Jamaica and adapts itself to all the changes man makes there. 



Brown found this Oriole scattered here and there at wide intervals 

 in the island and told me he thought it was one of the rarest birds he 

 had ever himted for. 



Tanagridae. 

 * Spindalis salvini Cory. 



Fifty-five specimens, both sexes (only five females) all adult. Grand 

 Cayman, April and May. 



This is a fine, large species peculiar to Grand Cayman. Its nearest 

 relative is clearly S. pretrei (Lesson) of Cuba. Its bill though of course 

 larger than in the Cuban species, the bird itself being much larger, is 

 very like it, and quite different from the heavy coarse bill of <S. bene- 

 dicti Ridg. of Cozumel Island. 



The female, I believe, was previously unknown; in color it is some- 

 what like the female of S. pretrei, (it is of course much larger), the upper 

 parts are, however, paler and more grayish olive, the under parts are 

 more uniform, the belly and under tail coverts not whitish but dull, 

 pale yellowish olive, and the chest is slightly paler olive. 



This is another of the Cayman birds that has been very rare in col- 

 lections; Brown, however, tells me that it is really not uncommon 

 in Grand Cayman, but that it keeps itself hidden away in the dense 

 scrubby woods where it is difficult to shoot, females being especially 

 hard to find. 



Fringillidae. 

 * TiARis olivacea olivacea (Linne). 



Euetheia coryi Ridg., Auk, Oct. 1898, 15, p. 322, Cayman Brae. 



Nineteen specimens, both sexes, all adult. Grand Cayman and Cay- 

 man Brae, April, May, and July. 



The species has been recorded from Little Cayman, but Brown 

 during his short stay in that island did not find it. 



