Vol. xxxvn 



1919 



J Oberholser, Races of Quiscalus quiscula. 551 



in the direction of the common Purple Grackle, but are never so 

 pronounced as in that form. 



From the data given by Mr. Wayne, 1 there seems to be no doubt 

 of the correctness of his conclusions regarding the proper applica- 

 tion of the name Gracula quiscula Linnaeus to the bird commonly 

 called Quiscalus quiscula agloeus Baird. As Mr. Wayne has shown, 

 the Gracula quiscula of Linnaeus 2 was based chiefly on Catesby's 

 Monedula purpurea, "the Purple Jack Daw." 3 In determining 

 to which of the subspecies this description of Catesby's applies, 

 we can get no assistance whatever from Catesby's figure, and we 

 are obliged, therefore, to determine its application by the text. 

 This, again, is not very satisfactory, but in view of the fact, brought 

 out by Mr. Wayne, that the Purple Grackle is almost unknown 

 in the coast region of South Carolina where Catesby's work was 

 done, and where, as his text indicates, he observed the birds from 

 which his figure was drawn, it would seem improper to fix the 

 name on any other than the breeding bird of this region. This 

 involves, of course, the relegation of Quiscalus agloeus Baird to 

 synonymy, since the latter name thus applies to the same bird as 

 Gracula quiscula Linnaeus. The Merops niger, viridi-argentea of 

 Brown, 4 which Linnaeus cites in his synonymy, and which is, of 

 course, Holoquiscalus jamaiccnsis (Daudin), may properly be 

 ignored in this connection, since it clearly does not figure in either 

 Linnaeus' diagnosis or his comments. 



The Gracula quiscala of Wilson 5 is merely a misspelling of 

 Gracula quiscula Linnaeus, as is shown by the synonymy quoted; 

 and the same applies to Sturnus quiscala Daudin. 6 The Quiscalus 

 versicolor of Vieillot 7 is merely a new name for Gracula quiscala 

 Latham (= Gracula quiscula Linnaeus), as the synonymy and 

 range (Greater Antilles to Hudson Bay) clearly indicate. Lichten- 

 stein's Quiscala nitens 8 is merely a new name for Gracula quiscula 

 Linnaeus and Sturnus quiscala Daudin, and is, of course, of identical 



1 hoc. cii. 



■ Syst. Nat., ed. 10, I, 1758, p. 109. 



3 Nat. Hist. Carolina, Florida, and Bahama Islands, I, 1731, p. 12, pi. xii. 



4 Nat. Hist. Jamaica, 1756, p. 476. 



s Amer. Ornith., Ill, 1811. p. 44, pi. XXI, Bg. 4. 

 s TraiUi Elem. et Compl. d'Ornith., II, 1800, p. 316. 

 i Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat., XXVIII, 1819, p. 488. 

 s Verz. Doubl., 1823, p. 18. 



