440 BULLETIN 15 5, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



The type specimen of this species was collected June 3, 1866, by 

 A. E. Younglove in the mountains back of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, 

 in all probability somewhere above Petionville, where Cory secured 

 specimens February 28 and March 2 and 7, 1881. Bartsch recorded 

 the siskin from near Jeremie April 10 and 11, 1917, but did not take 

 specimens. Abbott collected three on June 10, 1920, on Morne St. 

 Vincent near Furcy. In 1927 Wetmore recorded a flock of twenty- 

 five on April 12 on the high ridge of La Selle at 1,800 meters, feeding 

 on seeds of dock in an abandoned clearing, and on April 14 found 

 numerous flocks about the clearings of the Jardins Bois Pin, where 

 the birds fed on weed seeds near the ground, the groups being scat- 

 tered about at random, working quietly, but when disturbed flying 

 up with low notes resembling chut chut, or a higher pitched swee-ee, 

 or chit chit, chee-ee-o. He recorded them near Furcy April 17, and 

 also observed one on Morne Rouge on the road to Las Cahobes on 

 April 20. Bond found them abundant on Morne La Selle, and also 

 collected specimens on Morne Tranchant near Furcy January 6 and 

 7, 1928. 



An adult male taken by Wetmore on La Selle April 12, 1927, had 

 the bill light honey yellow, iris bone brown, and tarsus and toes 

 dusky brown. A female shot at the same time had the bill color 

 duller, with the tip of the maxilla dusky, but otherwise was similar. 

 The male was molting and renewing the lesser wing coverts. 



Following are measurements from adult birds in our series : 



Males, four specimens, wing 64.3-65.8 (65.0), tail 40.5-43.2 (41.6), 

 culmen from base 8.8-10.2 (9.7), tarsus 14.2-16.2 (15.1) mm. 



Females, five specimens, wing 61.7-65.2 (63.4), tail 39.3^2.1 

 (40.5), culmen from base 9.3-9.9 (9.7), tarsus 13.8-14.7 (14.3) mm. 



The siskin is a tiny bird from 110 to 120 mm. long with strong, 

 heavy, pointed bill. The male has the entire head, including the 

 throat, black, the wings and tail black, the back olive green, and the 

 rest of the plumage brilliant yellow. The female has the wings and 

 tail as in the male, the upper surface dull grayish green, and the 

 lower parts dull yellowish white faintly and obscurely streaked with 

 dusky. 



LOXIA MEGAPLAGA Riley 



HISPANIOIAN CROSSBILL, PERiaUITO, PIQUITO EN CRUZ 



Loxia megaplaga Riley, Smithsonian Misc. Colls., vol. 66, no. 15, December 1, 

 3916, p. 1 (El Rio, Dominican Republic). — Richmond, Smithsonian Misc. Colls., 

 vol. 66, no. 17, 1917, pp. 37-3S, fig. 39 (notes from Abbott).— Chapman, Bull. 

 Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. 37, May 14, 1917, pp. 331-333 (Loma Rucilla, Loma 

 Pelona, D. R., specimens) ; Amer. Mus. Jouin., vol. 17, 1917, p. 584 (possible 

 origin). — Bond, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, vol. 80, 1928, p. 519 (Morne 

 La Selle). — Ekman, Est. Agr. Moca, Ser. B., Bot. no. 15, December, 1929, p. 

 5 (local name). 



