390 BULLETIN 15 5, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Hinche April 22 and 23. Two were shot and another seen near 

 Caracol April 26. Two males from Hinche and a male and a female 

 from Caracol had the sexual organs very little developed indicating 

 a breeding season still distant so that from the dates mentioned they 

 must have been individuals from far north in the breeding range of 

 the species. Bond records the last one seen on Gonave Island May 

 18, 1928. Poole and Perrygo collected specimens at St. Kaphael 

 January 11, Cerca-la-Source March 21 and 24, and at Massacrin on 

 Gonave Island March 8 and 10, 1929. Ekman has recorded the 

 ovenbird on Navassa Island in October, 1928. 



Charles W. Kichmond has called our attention to a matter con- 

 cerning the type locality of the ovenbird that may be considered 

 here. Motacilla cmrocapilla Linnaeus, 42 is based on the following 

 references, "Briss. av. 3, p. 504. Edw. av. 91. t. 252." Turning 

 first to Brisson there is found the description of Le Figuier a teste 

 d'Or de Pensilvanie Ficedula Pensilvanica auro-capitta, taken from 

 Edwards (p. 91, pi. 252). Brisson wrote his description from 

 Edwards' plate and did not have a specimen. In Edwards there 

 is given a fair representation of the ovenbird in color prepared from 

 a specimen " taken at sea, in November, 1751, by the late Tho. Stack, 

 M. D. and F. K. S., in his Voyage to Jamaica, as the ship lay 

 becalmed, about eight or ten leagues distant from Hispaniola.", 

 Edwards supposed it to be a bird of passage from North America. 

 At the close of his statement he adds the following : 



" P. S. — Since my writing the above descriptions, I have received 

 two of these same birds from my good friend Mr. W. Bartram, of 

 Pennsylvania, which confirms my opinion, that they are birds of 

 passage: for he says, they arrive there in April, and continue all 

 the summer ; he says, the golden-crowned thrush builds its nest upon 

 the ground, and always chooses the south side of a hill " and so on 

 with other details. From this postcript Brisson took his statement. 

 " Habitat aestate in Pensilvanie " which gave Linnaeus his " Habitat 

 in Pennsylvania " and " near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania " has been 

 the accepted type locality. It now appears that Edwards' plate, and 

 description on which the account of both Brisson and Linnaeus were 

 based, was taken from a specimen secured at sea off Hispaniola so 

 that the latter must be accepted as the type locality of the ovenbird. 



The ovenbird is 145 to 155 mm. or more in length, greenish above, 

 with the center of the crown deep buff, bordered on either side by a 

 streak of black. Below it is streaked on breast and sides with black. 

 The feet are very light brownish white. 



"Syst. Nat., ed. 12, vol. 1, 1766, p. 334. 



