BIED8 OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 345 



base, where terminating in an obtuse point at a distance posterior to 

 the nostrils which about equals the basal width of the mandible; com- 

 missure straight, or nearly so, to beyond nostrils, where deflexed to 

 the rictus. Nostril on lateral median line of maxilla, nearly circular, 

 with overhanging membrane (narrower anteriorly), its posterior edge 

 touching feathering of frontal antise. Wing moderate or rather short 

 (more than three times as long as culmen, about four times as long as 

 tarsus), the tip moderately produced (longest primaries exceeding 

 secondaries by between one-half and two-thirds the length of culmen) ; 

 outermost (ninth) primary equal to fourth or intermediate between fifth 

 and fourth; seventh and sixth longest, the eighth but little shorter; inner 

 webs of outer primaries not perceptibly sinuated. Tail a little more 

 than two-thirds as long as wing, even or very slightly rounded, the 

 rectrices broad, but not widened terminally as in Agelaius, the lateral 

 ones with inner web more than three times as wide as the outer. Tarsus 

 decidedly shorter than culmen, slightly less than one-fourth as long as 

 wing, its anterior scutella distinct on inner but indistinct on outer 

 side; middle toe, with claw, slightly longer than tarsus; claws of lateral 

 toes reaching about to base of middle claw; hallux shorter than lateral 

 toes but much stouter, its claw shorter than the digit; all the claws 

 strongly curved, acute. 



Coloration. — Uniform black, in both sexes. 



Rang.e. — Island of Jamaica, Greater Antilles. (Monotypic.) 



NESOPSAR NIGERRIMUS (Osburn). 

 OSBTTRN'S BLACEBIRI). 



Adults {sexes alike). — Entirely uniform glossy blue-black; bill, legs, 

 and feet black, the former sometimes brownish basally. 



Adult male.— IjQugih. (skins), 175.3-185.4 (180.3); wing, 99.6-101.6 

 (100.6); tail, 73.2-74.2 (73.7); culmen, from base, 26.7-30.5 (28.5); 

 depth of bill at base, 9.7; tarsus, 22.6-23.4 (22.9); middle toe, 

 16.5-17.8 (17).' 



Adult female.— Length (skins), 158.8-177.8 (171.5); wing, 94.5-97.8 

 (95.5); tail, 63.5-71.9 (68.8); culmen, from base, 25.1-26.7 (25.7); 

 depth of bill at base, 9.7-9.9 (9.9); tarsus, 22.9; middle toe, 17.3.'' 



Island of Jamaica, Greater Antilles. 



\_Ickrus .?] nigerrimus Osburn, Zoologist, 1859, 6661, in text (Jamaica; coll. P. L. 

 Sclater). 



Nesopsar nigerrimus Sclater, Ibis, i, Oct., 1859, 457, footnote; Proc. Zool. Soc. 

 Lond., 1861, 74; Cat. Am. Birds, 1862, 139; Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., xi, 1886, 

 353.— Alerecht, Joiirn. ftir Orn., 1862, 197.— March, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. 

 Phila., 1863, 299.— Cory, Auk, iii, 1886, 223 (synonymy and descr.); Birds 

 W. I., 1889, 110 (do); Cat. W. I. Birds, 1892, 15, 111, 130.— Scott, Auk, x, 

 1893, 178. 



1 Two specimens. ' Three specimens. 



