168 Mr. E. C. Taylor on the Birds of the West Indies. 



Palm trees [Areca oleracea), in which, I suspect, it builds. Legs 

 dark blue. 



15. Icterus xanthomus, Sclater, Cat. A. B. p. 131.* 



Excessively abundant in Porto Rico, and very tame and fami- 

 liar. I did not see either this or the preceding species in the 

 Windward Islands. Legs black. 



16. QuiscALUs BARiTA (Gm.) ; Bp. Consp. p. 425. 



This species is pretty common in Martinique, but still not 

 very abundant. The Creoles there call it Le Merle, and do not 

 seem at all aware that it in any respect differs from the true Black- 

 bird of Europe. In Dominica I did not happen to see it ; but it 

 probably does occur there. In Porto Rico it is extremely abun- 

 dant, and is in fact the commonest bird in the island. It is very 

 tame, and especially frequents the farm-buildings on the estates. 

 It had only just begun to breed when I was in Porto Rico, in 

 the beginning of May ; however, I found a nest in an Avocado 

 Pear tree [Persica gratissima) : it was placed in a fork near the 

 top of the tree, and was in size, form, and general appearance 

 very like that of a Blackbird [Tardus merula). It contained 

 one egg, which is decidedly small for the size of the bird, and 

 in colour resembles those of the rest of the Quiscalince. 



17. CORVUS LEUCOGNAPHALUS (Vieill.). 



One morning, in Porto Rico, as I was looking after birds in a 

 large wood, I heard at some distance off a most extraordinary 

 sound — a kind of piping or jabbering noise such as I had never 

 heard before ; so I went to see what it could be. I found it 

 proceeded from two large Blackbirds jabbering to one another 

 in the top of a high tree. I did not succeed in procuring one 

 on that occasion ; but subsequently I was more fortunate. In 

 size this species fully equals and, I think, even exceeds the com- 

 mon Crow {Corvus corone). Although when the feathers lie 



* In my Catalogue (in a footnote) I described this bird as new, not 

 being able to associate it with any known species. The locahty there 

 given (Mexico) was taken from M. Verreaux's label to the specimen de- 

 scribed. It now appears that this was an error, and that the true home of 

 the species is Porto Rico. — P. L. S. 



