176 



Range: More field work is required before the distribution of the 

 two species on St. Vincent can be determined. Clark's three 

 birds were taken at Kingstown at the southern end of the island. 

 My four specimens were all secured at one place at an elevation 

 of about 1700 feet on the windward side, southeast of the center. 

 Possibly dispar will be found to inhabit only suitable sections near 

 the sea, while contrusus may eventually prove to be the more 

 common, widespread species. 



In order to settle definitely the question of the identity of 

 ■Quiscalus mexicanus Cassin and Quiscalus rectirostris Cassin, I 

 made a careful examination of the types in the Academy of 

 Natural Sciences and compared them with a small selected series 

 representing the other forms of the genus Holoquiscalus. The 

 results of this investigation show as follows: 



Quiscalus mexicanus is undoubtedly one of the forms of luguhris 

 inhabiting the Lesser Antilles. The type is a fully adult male in 

 fresh plumage. The gloss of the body feathers is more violaceous, 

 less bluish or black, than any specimens with which I have com- 

 pared it, but this is probably due to exposure while still standing 

 as a mounted specimen. Unfortunately the length of the bill, 

 one of the best diagnostic characters, cannot be verified, since the 

 tip of the upper mandible is broken off. 



Since the bird did not come from Mexico, as was originally 

 believed to be the case, and since it can never be positively 

 identified, I believe that the best course is to allow the name to 

 sink as a questionable synonym of the grackle of Guadeloupe and 

 Martinique, as was done by Mr. Ridgway many years ago. 



Quiscalus rectirostris. The type appears to represent a male 

 not fully adult. In size it most nearly approximates Holoquis- 

 calus luguhris luguhris, but the bill is even more slender than in 

 that form. In fact the bill is so unlike that of any other specimen 

 of the genus that there can be no doubt that this member is aber- 

 rant. The culmen is nearly straight, slightly concave anterior 

 to the nostril, and moderately decurved for the last 2 mm. of its 

 length; the gonys is ascending, and straight for a short terminal 

 part of its length. My opinion is that Quiscalus rectirostris 

 Cassin should be synonymized with Quiscalus luguhris Swainson. 



I take this opportunity to express my thanks to Dr. Witmer 

 Stone for allowing me to examine the type specimens referred to 

 above. 



