371 



scales of the anterior face of the tarsus, while they differ principally 

 in the shorter tarsi of Galeoscoptes. Mimocichla and Mimokitta, while 

 they agree in the more pointed wing and almost obsolete division of 

 the anterior face of the tarsus, differ strikingly in the thrush-like bill 

 of the first, compared Avith the scarcely-notched cultrate bill of the 

 latter. The pointed first primary of Mimocichla also shows its greater 

 affinity to the thrushes. 



Mimokitta plumbea. 



Syn. Turdus plumbeus Lin. 



Galeoscoptes plumbeus (Lin.) Cab. 



I have been induced to give a detailed description of this bird, as I 

 have been unable to find any description of it except Catesby's, which 

 is not perfectly accurate. Linnaeus, although founding his Turdus 

 plumbeus on Catesby's description, in all the editions except the tenth, 

 refers also to the Tilly of Buffon, Mimocichla ardosiacea (Vieill.), and 

 desci'ibes the bird as having a red bill. Brisson, though usually so ac- 

 curate, confounded it with the same bird. Vieillot, in his description 

 of Mimocichla ardosiacea, says, that if the description of the bill in 

 Catesby is correct, which he doubts, the bird must have been a variety. 

 Bonaparte, in his " Conspectus," gives Turdus ardosiaceus of Vieillot as 

 a synonyme, as does also Sclater in his " Synopsis of American Thrush- 

 es." During my brief residence in the Bahamas, I unfortunately saw but 

 few individuals of this species ; and, in consequence of the nature of 

 the places frequented by them, their habits were not easily observed. 

 AVhat I did see, however, reminded me most forcibly of the Florida 

 jay. They were in precisely the situations that the latter bird would 

 have chosen if removed to the Bahamas, — tangled thickets, where the 

 original growth had been cut off, closely resembling the scrub-oaks of 

 Florida, among which the Florida jay is always found. Although the 

 mocking-bird is quite abundant in the Bahamas, the present bird is 

 not called, at least I have never heard it called by the inhabitants, 

 mocking-bird, but either blue jay or blue thrasher; which Avould in- 

 dicate that its habits must differ from those of the former bird. 



Dimensions.- — -Length, 274.* Extent, 3 70. Wing, from flexure, 

 117. Length of tail, 112; tail beyond wing, 83. Tarsus, 35; mid- 

 dle toe, 20; middle-toe nail, 7|; hind toe, 12; hind-toe nail, 9|; 

 outer toe, 15^; outer-toe nail, 6|; inner toe, 14; inner-toe nail, 

 6|. Bill along ridge, 25. Gape, 31. Depth of bill,t 6^. f Breadth 

 of bill, 6|. Length of nostril, ^\. Breadth of nostril, 4|. DilFer- 

 ence in length of tail feathers, 14. 



Color. — Bill, black. Mouth and naked part of eyelids, bright orange. 



* The measurements are in millimetres. f Opposite nostril. 



