4 Mr. P. L. Sclater on the 



Molothrus pecoris, Sw. Faun. Bor.-Am. ii. p. 277, et Phil 

 Mag. 1827, i. p. 436 (Mexico) ; Bp. Consp. p. 436 ; Cab. Mus 

 Heiii. i. p. 193; Baird, B. N. Am. p. 524; Sclater, P. Z. S 

 1857, p. 213 (Mexico), 1859, p. 365 (Vera Cruz), 1860, p. 252 

 (Orizaba), et Cat. A. B. p. 13i ; Scl, et Salv. NomeucL p. 37 ; 

 Dresser, Ibis, 1865, p. 492 (Texas) ; Cassin, Pr. Ac. Sc. Phil 

 1866, p. 18; Bairtl, Brew., et Ridgw. B. N. A. ii. p. 154; 

 Coues, Pr. Ac. Sc. Phil. 1866, p. 90 (Arizona), et B. N. W 

 p. 180. 



Molothrus c/er. Gray, Hand-1. ii. p. 36*; Coues, Check-list 

 (1882), p. 62; Uidgw^ P. U. S. N. M. iii. p. 182. 



Molothrus obscurus, Cassin, Pr. Ac. Sc. Phil. 1866, p. 18. 



Molothrus pecoris, var. obscurus, Coues, Key, p. 155. 



Molothrus ater obscurus, Ridgw. P. U. S. N. M. iii. p. 182; 



Sennett, Bull. U. S. Geol. Surv. v. p. 396 (Rio Grande) ; 



Merrill, Pr. U. S. N. M. 1879, p. 130 (Texas). 



Niger purpureo micans ; capite toto imdique cum cervice et 



pectore summo fumoso-brunneis : rostro et pedibus 



nigris : long, tota 7'0, alse 4*2, caudse 3"2. Fem. Fusca 



unicolor, subtus paulo dilutior. 



Hab. N. America and southwards throughout Mexico to 

 Oaxaca and Vera Cruz. 



Mus. S.-G. et P. L. S. 



Specimens from Western Mexico (Mazatlan, Forrer) are 

 of much smaller size, and have been separated as Molothrus 

 obscurus by Cassin ; but examples from Vera Cruz seem to 

 be fully, or very nearly, as large as northern birds. Cf. 

 Coues, Key N. A. B. p. 155. 



2. Molothrus ^neus. 



PsarocoUus aneus, Wagl. Isis, 1829, p. 758 ; Bp. Consp. 

 p. 426. 



Molothrus aneus,Qdh. Mus. Hein.i.p. 192; Sclater, P. Z.S. 

 1856, p. 300 (Cordova, Mex.), 1859, p. 365 (Jalapa) et p. 391 

 (Oaxaca), et Cat. A. B. p. 135; Sclat. et Salv. Ibis, 1860, p. 34 



* Boddaert does not appear to have assigned the name ater to PI. Enl. 

 006. fig. 1, but merely to have associated {erroneuushj) with it the Black 

 Oriole ( Oriohis ater) of Latham. Cf. Ihis, 1883, p. 683. 



