Todd : A Revision of mm Geni Chjemepelia. 571 



Natural Sciences) the bill is marked as "dull red." Dr. Percy R. 

 Lowe records that in birds shot in the Bahamas (precise locality not 

 stated) in April, 1908, "there is a distinct crimson casl at the base 

 of the bill similar to [that in] specimens from Cuba." Ii will be seen, 

 therefore, that the name bahamensis, it restricted to the bird of this 

 group of islands, rests on a very slender basis indeed. The discovery 

 that two distinct forms occur in the Bahamas still further complicates 

 the question of their relationships. 



Females as well as males vary considerably in color, and some 

 specimens are absolutely indistinguishable from Cuban birds, but as 

 a series the) a\ erage paler. 



The Bermuda bird has been described by Mr. Bangs as distinct, 

 but after extended and careful comparison of the type series and a 

 few additional specimens I find myself entirely unable to appreciate 

 the alleged diagnostic characters, nor can I discover any others which 

 would justify the retention of the name. There is certainly no 

 constant difference in general size or color, while the bill is no smaller 

 than in some specimens from the Bahamas. Although this member 

 is described as wholly black, Dr. Percy R. Lowe says that when fresh 

 "the edges of the mandibles have a very narrow line of faint crimson, 

 all the rest of the bill being black." There is thus no great difference 

 in this respect from the bird of the Bahamas, and, indeed, Mr. A. E. 

 Yerrill intimates that the Ground Dove was introduced into Bermuda 

 from that source! Dr. Lowe, it is true, considers that C. p. "ber- 

 mudiana" is a readily recognizable form, but the material before me 

 certainly does not permit of any such conclusion. In the writer's 

 judgment there are two alternatives: either to unite the Bahaman and 

 Cuban birds, or to unite the Bahaman and Bermudan, and the latter 

 course seems the more logical and desirable to follow. 



Some of the Bermuda skins are more or less stained with rusty 

 below, doubtless from iron-impregnated soil. 



Mr. Maynard claims to have seen specimens of this race from 

 Florida, but I have little doubt that his records were based on ex- 

 ceptionally small and pale birds of the resident Florida form. 



Chaemepelia passerina exigua (Riley). 



Columbigallina passerina (not Colnmba passerina Linnaeus) Cory, Cat. W. Indian 

 Birds, 1892, 97, part (Great Inagua; Mona I.). — Bowdish, Auk, XIX, 1902, 361. 

 part (Mona I.; nesting). 



