VIEEO. 187 



Vireosylvia calidris, Baird, Eev. Am. B. i. p. 329'; Scl. & Salv. P. Z. S. 1875, p. 234 °j Lawr. Pr. 



U.S.Nat. Mus. i. p. 486". 

 Vireo calidris, Baird^ Brew. & Eidgw. N.-Am. B. i. p. 359 \ 

 Vireosylvia calidris, var. dominicana, Lawr. Pr. U.S. Nat. Mus. i. pp. 55, 486 ^ 

 Musdcapa altiloqua, Vieill. Ois. Am. Sept. i, p. 67, t. 38'. 

 Vireosylvia altiloqua, A. & E. Newton, Ibis, 1859, p. 145 '; Scl. & Salv. P. Z. S. 1864, p. 348 \ 



Supra olivaceus, pileo cinerascente utrinque fusco marginato, superciliis sordide albis, loris et stria utrinque 

 riotali fuscis ; subtus albidus, hypochondriis et crisso vix olivaceo tinotis ; rostro et pedibus cornels. 

 Long, tota 6-0, alse 3-2, caudse 2-3o, rostri a rictu 0-85, tarsi 0-75. (Descr. maris ex Panama. Mus. nostr.) 



Hah. NoBTH America, Florida s. — Panama, Lion-Hill Station {M'Leannan).—YmE,- 

 ZUELA ^ ; Guiana ; Antilles, Cuba, Jamaica ^, San Domingo '^, Windward Islands 

 generally ^ ^ ^. 



This species is a well-known inhabitant of most of the West-Indian Islands, having 

 been figured as long ago as 1751 by Edwards* from specimens obtained in the island 

 of Jamaica. Upon this figure Linnaeus founded his description ^. Vieillot also described 

 it from San-Domingo specimens, giving it the name of altiloqua ''. The Cuban repre- 

 sentative of this form has sometimes been admitted to specific rank under the name 

 of V. harbatula ; so also have those of the Lesser Antilles in several instances been 

 provided with names ^ ; but, after examining a considerable series, it seems to us that 

 the points of diff'erence are too slight and unstable to admit of any separation being 

 satisfactorily made. 



The presence of this Vireo in Continental America has only recently been ascertained. 

 M'Leannan in 1864 sent us a single specimen from Panama which we referred to this 

 species ^. This is the only one we have seen from Central America ; and the correctness 

 of its determination was questioned by Prof Baird^. But we have now obtained 

 authentic specimens both from Merida^ and San Esteban in Venezuela, and from 

 Bartica Grove in British Guiana (the latter sent us by Mr. Whitely) ; and neither do 

 these nor does our Panama specimen differ from the Jamaican bird. Moreover it has 

 now become much more probable that the description by Vicomte DuBus of a bird from 

 Ocana in Colombiaf as Vireosylvia frenata was based upon an individual of V. calidris 

 captured in its winter quarters. Messrs. Newton ^ and Mr. Ober ^ both suspected that 

 the birds observed in St. Croix and Dominica were migrants, arriving in the spring, 

 remaining to breed, and departing again before winter; and on this point we have 

 recently the positive testimony of Mr, Edward Newton, now residing in Jamaica, who 

 assures us that V. calidris is certainly a migratory species in that island. The presence 

 of the species on the continent of South America is -thus satisfactorily explained; and 

 we include V. calidris in this work without further hesitation. The fact, too, of this 

 bird being migratory lessens very much indeed the probability of there being any 



distinct island forms. 



* Nat. Hist. B. iii. p. 121, t. 121. f. 2. 



t Bull. Ac. Brux. xxii. p. 150. 



24* 



