during a Cruise, in the Caribbean Sea. 319 



MlMUS GILVUS ROSTRATUS. 



Mimus gilvns rostratus Ridgway, Proc. U.S. Nat. Miis. 

 1884, p. 173 (Curasao) ; Berl. J.LO. 1892, p. 74 (Curac^'ao); 

 Hartert, Ibis, 1893, p. 291. 



P'ive males and two females. 



This was one of the commonest birds met with, and was 

 present in large numbers. A small group of mangrove-trees 

 was, towards sunset on the day of our arrival, simply 

 swarming with them. I have noticed them collecting to- 

 gether at dusk in a similar way on Margarita Island at the 

 same season of the year. The plumage was much worn, and 

 some individuals were beginning to nioult. These birds 

 are very numerous on Blanquilla Island, where, at the 

 beginning of February 1907, they were in full song and 

 commencing to nest. We shot one specimen on Testigo 

 Grande which was pure white (irides normal). 



There is no doubt that the bills of these birds, and of 

 examples from Curacao, Blanquilla, and possibly Margarita 

 Island, tend to be larger than in typical Mimus yilvus. I 

 have accordingly referred them to Mr. Ridgway's M. yilvus 

 rostratus. Male birds are always larger than females. 



The average mearsurements of the exposed culmen in 

 birds from 



f (Ridgway, Birds of N. 

 & Mid. Amer.j 



Mr. Ridgway ('Birds of North and Middle America,^ 

 part iv. p. 236) describes this subspecies as " similar to 

 M. g. gilvus (West Indian specimens), but slightly larger, 

 with bill much larger, and white of chest less tinged with 

 grey." I believe, however, that the amount of grey on the 

 chest is indicative of age, for I have specimens which I shot 

 on Curasao which are distinctly more grey than those from 

 Grenada and St. Vincent^ and the same remark applies to 



