Todd: The Birds of the Isle of Pines. 231 



The Ani was not detected in the Cienaga or in the country to the 

 southward, but to the northward it is a very common and generally 

 distributed species. It prefers the more open country, and is emi- 

 nently gregarious in its habits, often being seen in pastures attending 

 the cattle and other stock. Like the Caracara and some other birds, 

 it is fond of following in the wake of brush-fires, picking up the roasted 

 lizards, snails, and insects. On several occasions flocks were found 

 roosting in the mangroves along the Los Indios River, attracting 

 attention by their habit of huddling close together on the perch, 

 like domestic fowls. 

 78. Saurothera decolor Bangs & Zappey. Isle of Pines Lizard 



Cuckoo. 



Saurothera nierlini (not of D'Orbigny) Poey, Mem. Hist. Nat. Cuba, 1854, 427 



(Nueva Gerona, fide Gundlach). 

 Saurothera merlini decolor Bangs & Zappey, Am. Nat., XXXIX, 1905, 199 (La 

 Vega, Cayo Bonito, and El Hospital; orig. descr. ; type now in Mus. Comp. ZooL; 

 habits; crit.). — Allen, Auk, XXII, 1905, 329, in text (review). — Editors, Ibis, 

 1905, 631, in text (review). — Read, Oologist, XXVI, 1909, 190 (I. of Pines), 

 223 (I. of Pines; descr.; habits); XXVIII, 191 1, 12 (I. of Pines). — Read, Bird- 

 Lore, XIII, 1911, 44 (McKinley); XV, 1913, 45, and XVI, 1914, 50 (Santa 

 Barbara). — Read, I. of Pines News, VI, Nov. 22, 1913 (I. of Pines; habits). 

 "Lizard Cuckoo" Read, Oologist, XXVII, 1910, 84 (McKinley to Nueva Gerona). 

 "Isle of Pines Lizard Cuckoo" Read, Oologist, XXVIII, 1911, 5 (Santa Barbara 

 Mountain, etc.), 6, 10 (Nuevas River), 7 (Caiiada Mountains, etc.), 114 (West 

 McKinley); XXX, 1913, 123 (Nuevas River), 125, 130 (Santa Barbara), 164 

 (Santa Barbara to Nueva Gerona), 168 (Los Indios). 



Twenty-one specimens: Nueva Gerona, Bibijagua, and Los Indios. 

 This is a very distinct form, differing so markedly from S. merlini 

 of Cuba that I venture to raise it to the rank of a species. As stated 

 in the original description, it seems in fact to be rather nearer to 

 S. bahamensis in general coloration, resembling S. merlini, however, 

 in having the primaries rufous. The series of adults is very uniform 

 as a whole, the size and shape of the black markings on the tail being 

 perhaps the most variable character. A number of young birds, dis- 

 tinguished by their duller and paler coloration, and by the lack of a 

 subterminal black bar on the rectrices, were taken between June 28 

 and July 3. 



Poey appears to have been the only author to record a Saurothera 

 from the Isle of Pines previous to Messrs. Bangs and Zappey, whose 

 specimens proved to belong to a form quite different from that of 

 Cuba. With reference to its habits, they state that it is " a common 



