164 
Allen on Birds of Santa Lucia. 
Mr. Semper, during his long residence on the island, has been a 
close observer of the birds, and the collections of skins forwarded by 
him from time to time to Dr. Sclater have formed the basis of our 
present knowledge of the species. Dr. Sclater, in his first paper on 
the birds of Santa Lucia, published in 1871,* * * § states that he believed 
there was at that time “ no published ornithological information 
whatever” respecting this island. “The little knowledge of its 
avifauna which I possess,” he adds, “ is derived from two sources : — 
first, a few specimens in the Paris Museum obtained by Bonnecourt, 
a French collector who visited the island in 1850 and 1851 on his 
way to Central America; and, secondly, a small series of unpub- 
ilshed colored drawings in the Library of this Society by Lieut. 
Tyler The latter, although rough and unfinished, are mostly 
recognizable, .... and I think them of sufficient interest to give 
the subjoined list [embracing 19 species] of their vernacular names 
according to Lieut. Tyler, and of what I believe to be their correct 
scientific titles” (op. cit., p. 266). The collection forming the basis 
of Dr. Sclater’s above-mentioned paper contained 25 species, of 
which one ( Icterus laudabilis) was described as new and figured. 
They include all but five of those mentioned in the list of Lieut. 
Tyler’s drawings. 
A few months later Dr. Sclater received a second collection from 
Mr. Semper, adding six species to the number previously recorded. 
The report upon this collectionf included field notes by Mr. Semper 
upon the 31 species now recorded. In 1875 the rare Parrot, Ghry so- 
ils bouqueti , was added to the list, the question of its true patria being 
now for the first time solved. J In 1876 Dr. Sclater, in reporting 
upon a third collection received from Mr. Semper, § added 8 species to 
those previously recorded, two of which, Thryothorus mesoleucus and 
Leucopeza semperi, proved to be new, the last named representing a 
new genus. Dr. Sclater has also recently characterized || as new the 
species of Margarops from Santa Lucia formerly referred by him to 
M. herminieri , to which he has given the name M. sanctae-lucice. 
The number of species hitherto recognized from the island of Santa 
* Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1871, pp. 263 - 273, pi. xxi. 
t Op. cit., 1872, pp. 647-653. 
J See Sclater, op. cit., 1875, pp. 61, 316, pi. xi. 
§ Op. cit., 1876, pp. 13, 14, pi. ii. 
|| Ibis, Jan. 1880, p. 73. 
