CJO Stejneger, Analecta Ornithologica. [January 



is based upon the relate 606. It seems, moreover, evident, that 

 his quotation of Latham's 'Black Oriole' is not due to a misiden- 

 tifi cation of Latham's description, but rather to a lapsus of the 

 pen, for under the 'Black Oriole' Latham quotes PI. Enlum. 534, 

 the same figure which Boddaert a few pages earlier (p. 31, see 

 above) named Oriolus niger, while again Latham quotes PI. 

 Enl. 606, f. 1. under the 'Lesser Black Oriole,' the bird in ques- 

 tion, to which Boddaert, therefore, most probably intended to 

 refer. 



That ''Oriolus ater'' lacks the appendix miki is totally insignifi- 

 cant. A few examples, picked up at random, are sufficient to 

 show that: Hirundo albiveiiter (pi. enl. 564. 2, Bodd. p. 32), 

 Muscicafia fusca (574, 1, p. 34), Mitscicapa eques (831, 1, p. 

 5i) 5 Tringa miles (S35, p. 51), Formicarius cayanensis (821, 

 p. 50), Motacilla naevia (752, 1, p. 47), Motacilla eques (730, 

 p. 46), Tanagra nigricula et T. pileata (720, 1 and 2, p. 45), 

 Tanagra grisea (714, I, p. 45), Tanagra rnfa (711, p. 45), 

 Parus ductus (708, p. 44), etc. The last seven are particularly 

 interesting as compared with the name given to the bird on plate 

 712. The latter is based upon exactly the same authorities and in 

 precisely the same manner as the above, to which i mikz' is not 

 appended, and still the species figured on pi. 712 is called 

 "Alauda capensis miki.* 



Somebody might perhaps object, that ' Oriolus ater belongs as 

 a quotation to 'black oriole' (see Boddaert's text as quoted above) 

 because only separated from it by a comma. In reply I shall only 

 refer to Bodd., p. 44, and the following quotation to prove that 

 the comma is of no account : 



"704. 2. Figuier Protonotaire, Buff. IX. p. 465. Briss. Ornith. III. o. 

 Motacilla citrea, Linn. Gen. 114. o." 



On the same page are two examples, 701, 2, and 706, 1. 



There is, therefore, in my mind no doubt but what Dr. Coues 

 was perfectly justified in proposing the change from Molothrus 

 pecoris to Afolothorus ater for the American Cowbird. 



* Numerous similar examples might be quoted, as pi. 700. 1 and 2, compared with 

 701, 2, 702, 703, 1 and 2; 706. 1 compared with the same pi. fig. 2, all these on p. 44. In 

 many of these cases the absence of 'miki' is very notable, as both the generic and the 

 specific names were new and given by Boddaert. 



