C8 Messrs. A. and E. Newton un the Birds of St. (h-oix. 



collection, with all the advantage which Prince C. L, Bonaparte^s 

 diagnoses in the ' Comptes Rendus' (vol. xxxviii. p. 259) afford, 

 it does not seem possible to come to any decided opinion on the 

 subject. The following are some of the principal differences to 

 be observed between the birds from St. Croix and Jamaica : — 



Jamaica. 

 Adult male. — To]i of head, nape, 

 back and ujiper wing-coverts deep 

 black. Rump bright canary-yellow, 

 well-defined. White on outer web 

 of primaries occupying a largish 

 space, and forming a distinct patch, 

 even when the wing is closed. 

 Three outer tail-qnills on each side 

 tipped with a broad patch of clear 

 white. Throat dull dark grey; 

 narrow line of black from gape, 

 above the eye and ear. Edge of 

 shoulder bright yellow. 



St. Croix. 

 Adult male. — Toj) of head, nape, 

 back and upper wing-coverts dull 

 black. Hump with a small greenish- 

 yellow ill-defined patch. White on 

 outer webs of primaries occupying 

 small space, and almost hidden by 

 wing-coverts, hardly showing, even 

 when the wing is open. Three 

 outer tail-quills on each side tip])ed 

 with a broad patch of dirty white. 

 Throat lead-grey ; brojid stripe of 

 black from gape, round the eye and 

 above the ear. Edge of shoulder 

 white or faintly tinged with yellow. 



The females from both islands appear to be more alike. The 

 young males, even when breeding, have the line over the eye 

 brilliant yellow, and the grey feathers of the chin tipped with 

 yellow. Adult females have the superciliary stripe white, and 

 nearly resemble the males. 



The bird from St. Thomas much more nearly resembles that 

 from Jamaica than that from St. Croix, but has a much paler- 

 grey throat. 



In Mr. Gosse^s pretty figure of this species (111. B. Jam. 

 pi. xvi.), he has omitted a very singular and pleasing feature, 

 namely, the prominent pale crimson or bright pink lips at the 

 gape, which, while the bird is alive, form a striking contrast of 

 colour with its plumage. These are brightest in the adult, but 

 are also very conspicuous in the young bird. The colour is very 

 fleeting ; and generally by the time the skin is taken off, no 

 traces of it are to be seen. This bird gets its name in St. Croix 

 from its constantly entering the curing-houses at the different 

 works through the barred windows,; and managers and over- 

 seers give it a bad reputation for stealing sugar from the hogs- 

 heads : but we are inclined to think it is often attracted thither 

 by the swarms of flies, which certainly throng there for the 

 purpose of eating the newly-made mnscovado. It is a very fami- 



