BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 345 



base, where terminating in an obtuse point at a distance posterior to 

 the nostrils which about equals the basal width of the mandible; com- 

 missure straight, or nearl}^ so, to beyond nostrils, where detiexed to 

 the rictus. Nostril on lateral median line of maxilla, nearly circular, 

 with overhanging membrane (narrower anteriorly), its posterior edge 

 touching feathering of frontal antiae. Wing moderate or rather short 

 (more than throe times as long as culmen, about four times as long as 

 tarsus), the tip moderately produced (longest primaries exceeding 

 secondaries by between one-half and two-thirds the length of culmen); 

 outermost (ninth) primary equal to fourth or intermediate between hf th 

 and fourth; seventh and sixth longest, the eighth but littk^ shorter; inner 

 webs of outer primaries not perceptibl}" sinuated. Tail a little more 

 than two-thirds as long as wing, even or very slightly rounded, the 

 rectrices broad, but not widened terminally as in Agelaius^ the lateral 

 ones with inner wel) more than three times as wide as the outer. Tarsus 

 decidedly shorter than cvilmen, slightly less than one-fourth as long as 

 wing, its anterior scutella distinct on inner but indistinct on outer 

 side; middle toe, with claw, slightly longer than tarsus; claws of lateral 

 toes reaching about to base of middle claw; hallux shorter than lateral 

 toes but nuich stouter, its claw shorter than the digit; all the claws 

 strongly curved, acute. 



Coloration. — Uniform black, in both sexes. 



Range. — Island of Jamaica, Greater Antilles. (Monotypic.) 



NESOPSAR NIGERRIMUS (Osburn). 

 OSBURNS BLACKBIRD. 



Adults {sexes alil'e). — Entirely uniform glossy blue-black; bill, legs, 

 and feet black, the former sometimes brownish basally. 



AcMt 7/ia/e.— Length (skins), 176.3-185.4 (180.3); wing, 99.6-101.6 

 (100.6); tail, 73.2-74.2 (73.7); culmen, from base, 26.7-30.5 (2S..5); 

 depth of bill at base, 9.7; tarsus, 22.6-23.4 (22.9); middle toe, 

 16.5-17.8 (17).^ 



Adult female.— hew^th (skins), 158.8-177.8 (171.5); wing, 94.5-97.8 

 (95.. 5); tail, 63.5-71.9 (68.8); culmen, from base, 25.1-26.7 (25.7); 

 depth of bill at base, 9.7-9.9 (9.9); tarsus, 22.9; middle toe, 17.3." 



Island of Jamaica, Greater Antilles. 



\^Ideruiif'] nigcrrimns Osburn, Zoologist, 1859, 6661, in text (Jamaica; coll. P. L. 

 Sdater)." 



Neiiopmr nigerrimus Sclater, Ibis, i, Oct., 1859, 457, footnote; Proc. Zool. Hoc. 

 Lond., 1861, 74; Cat. Am. Birds, 1862, 139; Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., xi, 1886, 

 353. — ^Albrecht, Journ. fiir Orn., 1862, 197. — March, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. 

 Phila., 1863, 299.— Cory, Ank, iii, 1886, 223 (synonymy and descr.); Birds 

 W. I., 1889, 110 (do); Cat. W. 1. Birds, 1892, 15, 111, 130.— Scott, Auk, x, 

 1893, 178. 



^ Two specimens. ^ Three specimens. 



