Todd : A Revision of im Geni - ( 'n i dmepi h i \. .V)7 



wholly dark (in skin), clear olive or olive-brown (basally) in life. 

 Above, averaging slightly nunc grayish than in C. />. albivitta, the 

 wing-coverts especially. Female very similar above to C. p. albivitta, 

 but very different below, aboul as in ('. p. neglecta, but rather paler 

 brown, and breast more conspicuously squamate, by reason of the 

 sharper contrasl between the dark centers and paler edgings of the 

 feathers; bill as in t he male. 



Measurements. — Male: wing, 78-82 (average, 80); tail, 53-58 (56); 

 exposed (admen, II.5-13 (12); tarsus, 16. 5-17. 5 (16.8). Female: 

 wing, 76-81 (79); tail, 51-60 (55); exposed culmen, 11. 5-12. 5 (12); 

 tarsus, 16-17. 5 (16.7). 



Range. — Southern Lesser Antilles, from Grenada north to St. 

 Vincenl and Barbados. 



Remarks. — The history of this form dates back at least to 1673, 

 when it was recorded by Ligon from the island of Barbados, under 

 the name "Lesser Turtle." This was doubtless the chief basis for 

 sundry later references pertaining to the "Caribbean Islands." In 

 more recent years it has been reported from the other islands of the 

 southern Lesser Antilles, St. Vincent, Grenada, the Grenadines, 

 etc., but not until 1908 was it recognized as a distinct form. Dr. 

 Percy R. I. owe, who was the original describes compared it with the 

 bird from the Bermudas, whereas, as a matter of fact, it is much closer 

 to the form from northern South America, being in fact intermediate 

 between that and C. p. trochila from the more northern Lesser Antilles. 

 As previously noted, specimens from the eastern part of the range of 

 C. p. albivitta grade into C. p. griseola to the southward, while to the 

 northward they would seem rather to approach C. p. antillarum. 

 Thus, a female from La Guaira, Venezuela (No. 172,865, Collection 

 U. S. National Museum), is practically indistinguishable from the 

 latter, except by its slightly more brownish coloration above and 

 yellowish bill. Examples from the island of Santa Lucia, on the 

 other hand, are distinctly intermediate between the present form and 

 C. p. trochila, to which, on the whole, they are better referred. Mr. 

 Austin H. Clark advises me that birds from the more southern islands 

 have been introduced on Santa Lucia and elsewhere within recent 

 years, which of course tends to complicate the question and obscure 

 the differences which naturallv exist. 



