11. MOLOTHRTIS. 337 



5. Molothrus purpurascens. 



Xanthornus purpui-ascens, Hahn u. Kiisfer, Vol/, aits Asien, Lief. v. 



t.4(?). 

 Molothrus purpurascens, Cassin, Pr. Ac. Sc. Phil. 1866, p. 20; Scl. 



P. Z. S. 18C.9, p. 148 (Lima) ; id. Ibis, 1884, p. 7 ; Scl. el Salv. 



Nomeiicl. p. 37 ; Tacz. P. Z. S. 1874, p. 5-23, 1880, p. 200 (Peru) ; 



id. Orn. Per. ii. p. 422. 



Similar to 31. honariensis, but female paler, especially below. 



Bah. Western Peru. 



Notwithstanding what Mr. Cassin says, it must at least remain 

 doubtful whether Hahn's figure was really intended to represent 

 this form of 21. honariensis ; but it is hardly necessary to change 

 the name. On examining the pair of birds from Lima (which must, 

 1 suppose, belong to Cassin's M. purpurascens), and comparing them 

 with a series of M. honariemds, I can find very little diff<.'rence in 

 the males, except that the bill and feet are rather stronger. The 

 female of i/. purpurascens is paler and more fuscous above, and 

 very much paler and more whitish on the lower plumage. 



a,b. J 2 ad. sk. Lima, Peru {Nation). Sclater Coll. 



6. Molothrus atronitens. 



Molothrus atronitens, Cah. in Schomh. Guian. iii. p. 682 ; id. Mus. 

 Hein. i. p. 193 ; Pelz. Orn. Bras. p. 200 ; Finsch, P. Z. S. 1870, 

 p. 676 (Trinidad) ; Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 37 ; Berlepsch, J. f. O. 

 1873, p. 249 ; Scl. Ibis, 1884, p. 6. 



Shining purplish black ; wings and tail more bronzy black : 

 whole length 7'5 inches, wing 3'7, tail 2-8. Female. Dark brown, 

 with a slight purplish tinge ; beneath paler. 



Hah. Guiana, Venezuela, and Trinidad. 



Only separable from M. honariensis by its smaller size. 



a. (f ad. sk. Venezuela. Sclater Coll. 



b. (5 ad. sk. Trinidad. Salviu-Godman Coll. 



c. c? ad. sk. George Town (Brown). Sclater Coll. 



d. (5 ad. sk. Demerara. J. R. Jackson, Esq. 



e. Pull. sk. Oyapoc, Cayenne (Jelski). Sclater Coll. 



/. $ ad. sk. Island of Mexiana, Lower Salvin-Godman Coll. 



Amazons {Wallace). 



7. Molothrus cassiui. 



Molothrus discolor, Cassin, Pr. Ac. Sc. Phil. 186G, p. 20 ; Scl. et Salv. 



Nomencl. p. 37 ; iid. P. Z. S. 1879, p. 509 (Antioquia) ; Salv. et 



Godm. Ibis, 1880, p. 123 (S. Marta). 

 Molothrus cassini, Finsch, P. Z. S. 1870, p. 576; Berlepsch, J. f. O. 



1873, p. 250 ; Scl. Ibis, 1884, p. 6. 

 Molothrus robustus. Cab. MS., teste Finsch, I. s. c. 



Dark shining pur{)le-black ; wings and tail more greenish ; bill 

 and feet black : whole length 8-8 inches, wing 5-2, tail 4-2. Female. 



VOL. XI. z 



