384 BULLETIN: MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. 
Holoquiscalus guadeloupensis (Lawrence). 
Expssed 
M. GC. Z. Sex Locality Wing Tail Tarsus Culmen 
66571 o& Guadeloupe, F. W. I. b23e 104- 36 28 
66570 on - > 119 100 35 29 
66571 on rs i 121 102.5 35 PUES, 
66572 ron i = 120+ 102+ ay fats) 27 
66566 Q M2 ie 104.5 80 S175 21+ 
66567 Q is ‘ 107.5 88 31 2025 
66568 ie) oy 106 80 32 21+ 
66578 Q ji ¥ 105.5 83 30 24 
14853 Q ! . $1 aoa 24— 
Although the Merle never ascends to any of the high pastures at 
the edge of the rain forest, it is still fairly abundant over the rest of 
the island. I did not meet with it at all during my stay at Ste. Claude, 
Vieux Habitants, Morne Rouge, or any of the other high regions I 
visited. But about the low plantations of Ste. Marie and Goyave 
it was very abundant. At Ste. Rose from July 12th—20th the Merle 
was seen nearly every morning in the Mango trees surrounding a large 
cow pasture. In fact wherever herds of cattle are grazing one may 
feel certain of seeing or hearing some Merles providing the altitude 
is not too great. 
Ballet (Loc. cit., p. 23) in speaking of the Merle says:— 
“Cet oiseau vit par bandes nombreuses, aime a se percher sur les 
grands arbres, notamment sur les palmistes, se perche sur les boeufs 
pour dévorer les tiques et autres vermines dont ils sont couverts, est 
trés famillier, suit le laboureur, et, posé sur les boeufs, ou la charrue, 
se précipite sur les larves et les insectes mis 4 découvert par cet instru- 
ment aratoire. Sa chair n’est pas bonne. Aussi, grace & son peu de 
gout, il a échappé A la destruction et rend & notre agriculture d’im- 
menses services. Ses bandes multipliées couvrent la Grande - Terre 
‘et une partie de la Guadeloupe.” 
The notes of the Merle are as varied as those of the Starling (Sturnus 
vulgaris). When in flocks the Merle keeps up an incessant jabbering. 
Sometimes, especially in the early morning, the bird gives its true call- 
note, a double whistle of two syllables, the second rather prolonged. 
But it is the conversational jabbering which is most characteristic 
of the bird. 
