!2lM HrLLETIN "H), UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



and (except in ^onie species) very difl'ercnt coloration of the sexes, 

 there is greater resembhmce to Mef/aquiscahis than to Quiscahis, but 

 the points of diti'erence from the former are suflRciently numerous. 

 The tail is relatively shorter and far less o-ruduated than in Jfq/a- 

 (/uiscalus^ the difference in length between lateral and median rectrices 

 amounting t(^ little, if any. more (usually less) than one-fourth of the 

 length of the middle rectrices, instead of between one-third and one- 

 half their length; the tarsus is shorter compared with tiie middle toe; 

 the inner webs of the primaries nuich l)roader in the middle or just 

 beyond the middle portion, the eighth, seventh, sixth, and fifth having 

 their inner webs nnich broader at that portion inuuediately preceding 

 the simiation.* 



On the whole, JI(>/o<ji(ii<va/i(^ may be considered as a fairly well 

 characterized genus, in some respects intermediate in structure between 

 Quf'sv((h/.'< and Jf((/(i(jtn\'«'(7/fh'^. but much nearer to the latter, and nearly 

 connected with it by the more or less intermediate southern species of 

 the two groups (//. liKjithrlx, II. Insulariff, and J/. nicarague7iMs). 



KEY TO THE SI'ECIES OK llOI-OQClt^CA I.IS. 



a. Color uniform black (with or without violet, bluish, or greenish gloss). 

 h. Wing more than 109 mm. (or else eulmen, from Ixise, more than L'7.9). 

 c. Wing not less than 14". 



iL Head, neck, and body distinctly glossed with violet, the wings and tail 

 with bluish green; bill strongly decurved at tip. 

 «■. Culmen, from base, 35.6-4l\6 (averaging 37.3), the hill more slender; 

 violet gloss more distinct. (Cuba.) 



Holoquiscalus gundlachii, adult male (p. 226) 



ee. Culmen', from base, 33-35.0 (averaging 34.. "i i, the bill stouter; violet gloss 



less distinct. (Jamaica. ) .Holoquiscalus jamaicensis, adult male (p. 227) 



(/(/. Head, neck, and body with very faint or scarcely perceptible violet gloss; 



wings anil tail without distinct, if any, greenish gloss; tip of bill very 



slightly decurved. (Haiti.) Holoquiscalus niger, adult male (p. 228) 



cc. Wing not more than 134.0. 

 d. Plumage not distinctly, if at all, glossed. 

 i\ Culmen, from base, 32.5 or more. 



Holoquiscalus gundlachii, adult female (p. 226) 

 ee. Culmen, from base, not more than 30.S. 

 /. Bill stouter, distinctly decurved at tip. 



'/. Wing, 127.5-130 Holoquiscalus jamaicensis, adult female (p. 227) 



;/;/. Wing, 108.7-116.3. . .Holoquiscalus brachypterns, adult female (p. 227) 

 f. Bill more slender, very slightly decurved at tip. 



Holoquiscalus niger, adult female (p. 228) 

 dd. riumage distinctly glossed with violet or bluish (more greenish on wings 

 and tail). 

 e. Wings glossed, more or less, with greenish; t-ulmen decidedly decurved 

 terminallv. 



' This character is not entirely diagnostic, a single species of Megaquiscalus {M. 

 nictiragiiensis) having the inner webs of the longer primaries of exactly the same 

 shape, even to a greater degree, while one species of Ifoloiiniscalus (H. litgubris) has 

 the imier webs of normal form, as in Qui!icalu--< and typical }fegaquiscciJus. 



