58 PROCEEDINGS 01' THE NATIONAL MUSEUM [vol.82 



common, so that during the few days of our stay we obtained a small 

 series. They had considerable curiosity and came out on open limbs 

 to peer about when interested. Their movements were slow and 

 leisurely, and they were usually found in pairs, being evidently near 

 the breeding season. The song resembled whee whee whee given in a 

 low tone, and their calls, also low, were querulous and complaining. 



On our return from Beata we were astonished to obtain two speci- 

 mens in the desert area north of the Rio Yaque del Sur, beyond 

 Habanero, which brought to attention an early record of one skin 

 collected by Dr. W. L. Abbott at Trujin, on the coast south of Enri- 

 quillo, on February 11, 1922. These three skins are distinctly of the 

 paler coloration that characterizes the bird of Beata, and appear to 

 be within the range of color variation for that race. They are identi- 

 fied at tliis time as vasta with the suggestion that further specimens 

 be obtained for comparison when practicable, as with extensive ma- 

 terial the main island skins might prove separable. It may be noted 

 that the skin from Trujin, listed by Wetmore ^^ in earlier studies 

 with a series of the typical race, is an immature individual with the 

 greenish wash on the fore portion of the body usual in birds in this 

 stage, so that because of this masking of the paler markings its differ- 

 ences were entirely overlooked in previous examination. 



In the collections of the American Museum of Natural History there 

 is a series of six adult birds of this species collected by R. H. Beck at 

 Santo Domingo City, September 28 and October 5, 6, 7, 9, and 16, 

 1917, that are somewhat brighter green on the back than adult speci- 

 mens from the interior mountains, and are also slightly lighter gray 

 on the head. They thus show a slight approach to the paler coloration 

 characteristic of M. jp. vasta but are nearer to true jpalustris. Two 

 immature skins from the same locality agree with the adults in this 

 slight difference. 



Microligea palustris vasta differs from typical M. p. palustris in 

 being decidedly paler, both above and below, and in having the under 

 surface with the white of the breast and abdomen more extensive, 

 and the sides and flanks distinctly lighter. The gray of the crown and 

 hindneck is paler and the green of the back, rump, and wing is lighter. 

 M. p. vasta is slightly smaller. Following is the description of the type 

 specimen of vasta: 



Type, U.S.N.M. No. 327859, male adult, collected on Beata Island, 

 Dominican Repubhc, May 13, 1931, by A. Wetmore and F. C. Lincoln 

 (orig. no. 8741). Crown, hindneck, and upper back storm gray; 

 auricular region smoke gray; a white spot on upper and lower eyelids, 

 and a slight mixture of white in lores producing a faintly indicated 

 streak or line; back, rump, wing coverts, and exposed edges of second- 

 aries and inner primaries between mignonette green and Kronberg's 

 green, primaries otherwise dusky, the outer ones edged with olive- 



" Wetmore and Swales, U.S. Nat.Mus. Bull. 155, 1931, p. 395. 



