MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. 289 



meridional^ of the same author. Yet the distinctions between them are 

 trivial, all of these so-called species having been generally looked upon as 

 doubtfully distinct from the S. ludoviciana of the United States, especially 

 the three last named. The S. collaris of Vieillot has very generally been 

 referred by subsequent writers to the 5. ludoviciana. The main distinctive 

 feature of the S. neglecta has been its song, — a very doubtful basis on 

 which to found a species. The Florida specimens are intermediate in size 

 and other characters between the Cuban and New England represent- 

 atives of this species. As already remarked, the song of the Florida birds 

 is as widely different from that of the New England bird as the song of 

 the latter is from that of the western ones. Concerning the affinities of 5. 

 neglecta I have already remarked.* Concerning those of the other sup- 

 posed species, I may well borrow the appropriate remarks of the late Mr. 

 Cassin, who observes in respect to them, in his " Study of the Icteridce"] 

 as follows : — 



" This bird [Slamella ludoviciana'] is nearly related to the next four 

 species of this genus [S. neglecta, S. hippocrepis, S. mexicana, S. meridio- 

 nalis], equally in structure and in colors, and it would be difficult to de- 

 scribe by positive characters either species of this group, so as to insure 

 recognition absolutely, or without comparative characters being given. 

 .... No other genus or sub-genus of this family presents so many species 

 of such uniformity of structure and similarity of color, and there are, as- 

 suredly, few such in the kingdom of birds." Under S. neglecta he further 

 remarks in respect to the transition that is so apparent between it and S 

 ludoviciana : "In the central regions of North America it is possible that 

 a hybrid race between the two species may be produced, to be referred 

 •with about equal propriety to either." S. hippocrepis, he says, is very 

 nearly related to 5. mexicana, " and can scarcely be distinguished from it 

 by any characters which seem to be reliable." He thinks it to be some- 

 what more distinct, however, from 5. neglecta. Mr. Lawrence had pre- 

 viously remarked that the S. hippocrepis is somewhat smaller than S. 

 ludoviciana of the United States, and that he " thinks it is specifically 

 distinct " ; although he adds, " it would be difficult to point out any re- 

 liable differences in coloration, especially of the upper plumage, as in- 

 dividuals even of the same species are very variable.''^ He says, further, 

 that specimens of it from Jalapa, Mexico, differ " only in the pectoral band 

 appearing broader in the Mexican bird, and the tertials much shorter 

 than the primaries, but this last may not be a reliable character." In the 



* See Memoirs of the Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. I, p. 494, 1868. 

 t Proceedings of the Phil. Acad. Nat. Sciences, 1866, p. 23. 

 t Annals of New York Lyceum of Nat. Hist., Vol. VII, 266, 1860. 

 VOL. II. 19 



