NO. 1116. PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 513 



Specific characters. — Largest species of the genus, with largest and 

 thicliestbill. Wing, 3,55-3.70 inmales; 3.25-3.45 in females; culineu, 1. 



Range. — Galapagos Archipelago: *? South Albemarle Island (Baur 

 and Adams);' Charles Island (Dorwin); Chatham Island (Darwin); 

 ?Jervis Island (Baur and Adams'). 



^'- Adult male. — Entirely black above and below; quills aud tail 

 feathers blackish brown; under tail-coverts black, broadly edged and 

 tipped with white. Total length, 5.2 inches; culmen, 1; wing, 3.55; 

 tail, 2,1; tarsus, 1. 



" In what I take to be the seasonal lilumage a browner sliade pervades 

 the black, the feathers having edges of obscure brown ; these pale edges 

 are lighter and more conspicuous on the abdomen; uutler tail-coverts 

 white with black bases. 



'■'■Adult female. — Different from the male; general color above brown, 

 the feathers edged with ashy olive, especially on the rump and upper 

 tail-coverts; wings like the back, edged with pale ashy, the greater 

 coverts whiter on the margins; bastard wing, primary coverts, and 

 quills dark brown edged with pale ashy, clearer wliity brown on the 

 margins of the i^rimaries; tail-feathers pale brown, with ashy brown 

 margins; crown of head rather darker than the back, blackish, with 

 slightly indicated j)ale edges to the feathers; lores, sides of face, and 

 ear-coverts ashy olive-brown, darker brown along the upper edge of 

 tlie latter; cheeks a little darker brown; throat dark brown, streaked 

 with ashy margins to the feathers; remainder of under surface whity 

 brown with a slight olive tinge, the fore neck and chsst streaked with 

 dark brown centers to the feathers; the sides of the body and flanks 

 brown, also streaked with darker brown; thighs and under tail-coverts, 

 under wing-coverts, and axillaries whity brown, slightly tinged with 

 olive; quills below dusky brown, ashy white along the inner edge. 

 Total length, inches; culmen, 1; wing, 3.35; tail, 2; tarsus, 1. 



"Xone of the seven specimens in the Museium have the sexes or dates 

 of capture marked, but the brown birds, which I take to be all females, 

 have shorter wings than the black males. In the latter the length of 

 the wing is from 3.55 to 3.7 inches, and in the females 3,25 to 3.45. The 

 bill in the females varies in color, probably with season, becoming much 

 blacker, and the increase in the color of the bill is accompanied by a 

 blacker tone of plumage, the upper surface having the ashy margins 

 less jironounced, while the under surface of the body is thickly mottled 

 with black spots." (Sharije.) 



It is very singular that this powerfully built form has not been seen 

 by any collector since Darwin's visit to the Galapagos. It seems to be 

 near G.stremuij but still larger; so closely related, in fact, that Mr. Salvin 

 has "little doubt that a large series of the skins . . . would show that 

 thedimensions . . . graduate into those of (7. .S'<>'e/iim."^ 



' See Dr. G. Baur, Amer. Nat., XXV, 1891, p. 905, The specimeus baviug been lost, 

 the iilentificatiou is doubtful. 

 •'Trans. Zool. Soc. Lonil., IX. Ft. ix, 1876, p. 479. 



Proc. N. M. vol. xix 33 



