152 New Species of Birds from St. Yincent. 



7 Calliste versicolor- 



Male. Front, crown, and occiput of a bright deep chestnut-red ; upper 

 plumage golden fawn-color, clearest on the sides of the neck and on the rump, 

 in some positions showing a pale greenish silvery gloss; upper tail-coverts 

 bluish-green; lores and partly under the eye black; sides of the head and ear- 

 coverts dull dark green; tail-feathers black, except the two middle ones, which, 

 with the outer margins of the others, are bluish green ; quills black, con- 

 spicuously edged with bluish-green ; wing coverts black, with their exposed 

 portions bluish-green; uuder wing coverts of a light salmon-color ; the under 

 plumage is changeable according to position; viewed from the bill downwards 

 it is of a light bluish-lilac, the blue color deepest on the lower part of the 

 throat, and the upper part of the breast ; on a side view, the abdomen is of a 

 purplish-red; the feathers of the upper part of the throat are tipped with gray; 

 the under tail-coverts are bright cinnamon color ; upper mandible black; the 

 under light brownish horn-color; tarsi and toes black. 



Length, 6£in.; wing, 3|; tail, 2i; tarsus, 13-16. 



The female differs in having the top of the head of a lighter chestnut color, 

 and the upper plumage of a pale green; the under plumage has the same colors 

 as the male, but much subdued; the abdomen, sides and under tail-coverts are 

 of a light cinnamon-color; the wings and tail are black, but margined with a 

 paler bluish-green ; the markings about the head and on the throat, are similar 

 to those of the male, " iris hazel." 



Length, 6 in.; wing, 3£; tail,2J; tarsus, 13-16. 



Types in National Museum, Washington. 



Remarks. This fine, new species belongs to the group 

 which contains C. vitriolina. cay ana, cyanolcmia and cucul- 

 lata ; it somewhat resembles the latter, a species I have never 

 seen, but according to the plate (Mon. of Calliste, Scl.), the 

 colors of the present bird are generally darker, with no ten- 

 dency to ochreous-yellow above, as in C. cucullata, and the ab- 

 domen is purple instead of reddish-ochreous ; the crown is of a 

 clearer and brighter chestnut red. It is larger than any of its 

 allies ; and a strikingly different character is its very large aud 

 stout bill, exceeding in size that of any of them I am ac- 

 quainted with, being fully as large as the bill of Tanagra 

 carta. 



No species of Calliste appears to be on record before from 

 any of the West India islands proper. There are five speci. 

 mens in the collection, three $ and two 9 , procured in Feb- 

 ruary, 1878. " Frequents the mountain ridges and valleys." 



