164 Allen on Birds of Santa Lucia. 



Mr. Semper, during his long residence on the island, has been a 

 close observer of the birds, and the collections of skins forwarded by 

 him from time to time to Dr. Sclater have formed the basis of our 

 present knowledge of the species. Dr. Sclater, in his first paper on 

 the birds of Santa Lucia, published in 1871,* states that he believed 

 there was at that time " no published ornithological information 

 whatever" respecting this island. "The little knowledge of its 

 avifauna which I possess," he adds, " is derived from two sources : — 

 first, a few specimens in the Paris Museum obtained by Bonnecourt, 

 a French collector who visited the island in 1850 and 1851 on his 

 way to Central America ; and, secondly, a small series of unpub- 

 lished colored drawings in the Library of this Society by Lieut. 



Tyler The latter, although rough and unfinished, are mostly 



recognizable, .... and I think them of sufficient interest to give 

 the subjoined list [embracing 19 species] of their vernacular names 

 according to Lieut. Tyler, and of what I believe to be their correct 

 scientific titles" (op. cit., p. 26G). The collection forming the basis 

 of Dr. Sclater's above-mentioned paper contained 25 species, of 

 which one [Icterus laudabilis) was described as new and figured. 

 They include all but five of those mentioned in the list of Lieut. 

 Tyler's drawings. 



A few months later Dr. Sclater received a second collection from 

 Mr. Semper, adding six species to the number previously recorded. 

 The report upon this collectionf included field notes by Mr. Semper 

 upon the 31 species now recorded. In 1875 the rare Parrot, Ckry so- 

 ils bouqueti, was added to the list, the question of its true j9a<?'ia being 

 now for the first time solved.;}: In 1876 Dr. Sclater, in reporting 

 upon a third collection received from Mr. Semper,§ added 8 species to 

 those previously recorded, two of which, Thryothorus mesoleucus and 

 Leucopeza semperi, proved to be new, the last named representing a 

 new genus. Dr. Sclater has also recently characterized || as new the 

 species of Margarops from Santa Lucia formerly referred by him to 

 M. hermhiieri, to which he has given the name M. sanctce-lucice. 

 The number of species hitherto recognized from the island of Santa 



* Proc. ZooL Soc. London, 1871, pp. 263 - 273, pL xxi. 



t Op. cit., 1872, pp. 647-653. 



t See Sclater, op. cit., 1875, pp. 61, 316, pi. xi. 



§ Op. cit, 1876, pp. 13, 14, pi. ii. 



II Ibis, Jan. 1880, p. 73. 



