576 DR. 0. FINSCH ON THE BIRDS OF TRINIDAD. [June 23, 
61. Letstes GuraNensts (L.); Scl. Cat. p. 138; Taylor, /.c. p. 84. 
Leistes americanus, Léot. p. 279. 
Two specimens, not different from others from Guiana. 
62. LetsTEs IcTEROCEPHALUS (L.). 
Chrysomus icterocephalus, Léot. p. 281. 
Xanthosomus icterocephalus, Scl. Cat. p. 136; Taylor, J. c. p. 84. 
Leistes icterocephalus, Cass. Proc. Phil. 1866, p. 14. 
An old bird, similar to specimens from New Granada. 
63. MoLorurus aTRoNItTENS, Cab. in Schomb. Guian. iii. p. 682. 
Molothrus bonariensis, Léot. (nec Gmel.) p. 277. 
Molothrus sericeus (part.), Scl. Cat. p. 135. 
Molothrus atronitens, Pelz. Orn. Bras. iii. p. 200. 
Two specimens. 
Old; black, the entire upper and under parts of head and body 
having a dark purplish-violet lustre, except the middle of the vent 
and under tail-coverts, which show a dark metallic-green lustre, like 
the wings and tail and the coverts of the primaries and secondaries ; 
bill and feet black. 
A specimen in the Bremen Collection from Brazil agrees in every 
respect. 
(vect. med.) altit. 
Long. al. caud. rostr. adbas. tars. 
m 
3” 9" 7 7B 832" 11'" (ad., atronitens, Cab., Trinidad.) 
4 
3. 8 Ee 3 103 (ad., atronitens, Cab., Trinidad.) 
3 iat 2 6 7 37 103 (ad., atronitens, Cab., Brazil.) 
3.9 2 8 — — 11 (ap. Cabanis.) 
=r aa ape | 73 4 123 (bonariensis, Gmel., Brazil.) 
Ail 3 10 82 43 13. (¢, cassini, New Granada.) 
4 10 | 83 At 13. (6, cassini, New Granada.) 
4° <p pe 83 43 13. (6, eassini, New Granada.) 
4 4 ait ol 83 43 13° (do, eneus, Wagl., New Granada.) 
The description given by Dr. Cabanis, “like donariensis, but much 
smaller,” and the measurements given by him, are undoubtedly re- 
ferable to this species. The purple-violet lustre on the head and 
body is quite the same as in M. bonariensis; but this latter species 
does not show the metallic-green shade on the wings and tail so 
bright, and wants the green lustre on the vent and under tail-coverts. 
It may possibly be that Vieillot’s Passerina discolor is this species ; 
but the description not being accompanied by measurements, it 
is impossible to refer it with certainty to any of the known spe- 
cies of this extremely difficult group. Mr. Cassin, therefore, is 
certainly wrong in characterizing M. discolor (=atronitens) as 
‘rather larger than M. bonariensis (al. 43-43"),”’ the true M. atro- 
nitens being, on the contrary, much smaller. The bird which Mr. 
Cassin (Proc. Ac. Phil. 1866, p. 20) describes as M. discolor, from 
Trinidad and Cuba, we possess in the Bremen collection from New 
