414 BULLETIN 155, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Family THRAUPIDAE 

 Subfamily Thraupinae 



SPINDALIS MULTICOLOR (Vieillot) 

 HISPANIOLAN SPINDALIS, MOUNEDELE 49 



Tanagra multicolor Vieillot, Tabl. Encyc. Meth., vol. 2, 1823, p. 775 

 ("Florides, les iles Bahama et de Saint-Doiningue"=Hispaniola). 



Grivelette de Saint-Doniingue, Descourtilz, Voy. Nat., vol. 2, 1809, pp. 204- 

 206 (in part; hunting, eggs). 



Tanagra dominicensis Bryant, Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. 11, May, 

 1867, p. 92 (New name for Tanagra multicolor Vieillot from Hispaniola). 



Spindalis multicolor, Salle, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1857, p. 231 (Dominican 

 Republic, specimens).— Cory, Bull. Nuttall Ornith. Club, 1881, p. 152 (Haiti, 

 specimens) ; Birds Haiti and San Domingo, March, 1884, pp. 54-55, col. pi. 

 (Petionville, Puerto Plata, specimens) ; Cat. West Indian Birds, 1892, p. 114 

 (Haiti, Dominican Republic) ; Auk, 1895, p. 279 (Dominican Republic). — 

 Tristram, Cat. Coll. Birds belonging H. B. Tristram, 1889, p. 220 (Samana, 

 specimens). — Tippenhauer, Die Insel Haiti, 1892, p. 321 (listed).— Christy, 

 Ibis, 1897, p. 323 (Sanchez, specimen). — Verrjxl, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila- 

 delphia, vol. 61, 1909, p. 363 (Sanchez, specimens). — Cherrie, Field Col. Mus., 

 Ornith. ser., vol. 1, 1896, p. 13 (Catarrey, Aguacate, specimens). — Peters, Bull. 

 Mus. Comp. Zool., vol. 61, 1917, p. 425 (Bulla).— Bond, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. 

 Philadelphia, vol. 80, 1928, p. 516 (Haiti).— Lonnberg, Fauna och Flora, 1929, 

 p. 109 (Haiti).— Moltoni, Att. Soc. Ital. Scienz. Nat., vol. 68, 1929, pp. 325-326 

 (Monte Viejo), specimens). 



Resident; common. 



This handsomely variegated tanager is common among the hills 

 in the better watered localities where thickets and low jungle 

 abound, but is found only casually in more arid country. The birds 

 delight in the low growth that appears along fences extending 

 through clearings, or in the bushes that border more open trails, 

 but also search busily through dense, wet jungle flying from perch 

 to perch with a heavy rattle of wings common among many birds 

 in the quiet of such damp haunts. Often the spindalis is seen in 

 passage overhead traveling with bounding flight, and if the birds 

 be males with much display of bright color. This species feeds 

 on seeds, berries and fruits of various kinds, traveling at times to 

 congregate in abundance where some fruit is ripening. They are 

 very silent and seldom call, their note then being low and faint. 

 Wetmore heard one utter a weak, sibilant song that may be written 

 tsee see see see see, in so low a tone that it was heard with difficulty, 

 which agrees with Verrill's notes that the song is feeble and insect- 

 like. Salle's record that the spindalis has " un chant agreable " is 

 seemingly erroneous. 



49 So named in the La Hotte region according to Dr. E. L. Ekman. 



