NO. 191(5. REVISION OF BUT0RIDE8 TIRESCENS—OBERTIOLSER. 569 



Description. — Type, adult male, No. 74147, U.S.X.M.; Gronacla 

 Island, West Indies, March — , 1878; F. A.Obcr; original number 505. 

 Pileum, occipital crest, postocular region, and a short subauricular 

 streak, deej), glossy bottle green; malar stripe cream bu IT; submalur 

 stripe mixed blackish and chestnut; checks, auriculars, sides and 

 back of neck, purplish chestnut, a little more rufescent anteriorly, 

 slightly glaucous posteriorly; upper surface of body deep bottle green, 

 more or less glossy, the long, pointed, plume-like feathers of back 

 and scapulars in part somewhat glaucous; wdngs fuscous, the prima- 

 ries and outer secondaries dull, dark, greenish-blue slate color, the 

 inner primaries and outer secondaries tipped with white; tertials, 

 outer webs of inner secondaries, and all the superior coverts deep 

 bottle green, but in most places worn until grayish or bluish; the 

 outer webs of outer scapulars and the first rows of lesser wing- 

 coverts margined all around with tawny ochraceous, the remaining 

 rows and the median coverts ^\dth buff, the greater series and outer 

 webs of tertials and innermost secondaries with cream white; tail 

 mostly dark bottle green, somewhat glossy; chin and middle of upper 

 throat creamy white, medially streaked wdth clove brown; jugulum 

 purplish chestnut, streaked medially much \vith white and a little 

 with dark, earthy brown; breast, abdomen, sides, crissum, and 

 axillars, slate gray with a brownish tinge, the longest feathers of 

 under tail-coverts wliitish, with large, dark brownish gray distal 

 patches; thighs dull ochraceous mixed with dark brownish gray; 

 Hning of wing slate gray, rather brownish, mottled with cream buff 

 and ochraceous, the edge of wing broadl}^ cream buff. 



MeasureTYients. — ]\Iale:* Wing, 169-170.5 (average, 169.8) mm.; tail, 

 59-66 (61.6); exposed culmen, 56-63 (59.9); height of bill at base, 

 12-12.5 (12.3); tarsus, 48.5-51.5 (50.3); middle toe, 43.8-46 (44.7). 



Female:^ Wing, 159 mm.; tail, 58.5; exposed culmen, 58.5; height 

 of bill at base, 11.5; tarsus, 49; middle toe, 40. 



Type-locality. — Grenada Island, West Indies. 



Geographical distribution. — Southern Lesser Antilles, West Indies: 

 south to Grenada Island; north to Carriacou, Bequia, and St. Vincent 

 Islands. 



The present form is apparently almost identical in color wdth 

 Butorides virescens cuhanus, although the posterior lower parts average 

 slightly darker; but in size the male, at least, averages larger. It ia 

 thus very close to the Cuban form, but in view of the wide separation 

 of range and the direct interposition of three other races, it seems 

 best to consider the Grenada bird as a different form, since it is doubt- 

 less an offshoot of one of the neighboring races, rather than of the far- 

 distant Butorides virescens cuhanus, its resemblance to that subspecies 

 being fortuitous or due to climatic or environmental con<litions. 



> Four specimens, from the islands of Grenada and Bequia, West Indies. 



> One specimen, from St. Vincent Island, West Indies. 



