282 PROCEEDINGS: BOSTON SOCIETY NATURAL HISTORY. 
rounded spots of black (like those on the eggs of Ampelis cedro- 
rum). It is said by the natives to be non-parasitic. 
Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus (Bonap.). Yellow- 
headed Blackbird. — Col. Feilden says: “Dr. Manning pro¬ 
cured a specimen of this species in the autumn of 1887, which he 
kindly placed in my collection.” The only other West Indian 
record is from Cuba, where Dr. Gundlach once purchased one in 
the market at Havana. 
Holoquiscalus fortirostris (Lawr.). Blackbird (Barba¬ 
dos).— Hughes writes: “These birds are very numerous in this 
island (though there are none at Antigua).... They are serviceable 
in destroying crickets and other vermin; yet this scarce compen¬ 
sates for the ravage they make in consuming our Indian and Guiney 
corn, the former chiefly when young ; the latter, some after it is 
planted, as well as when ripe.” 
Ligon says : “ The next is a Blackbird, with white eyes, and that 
so ill become her, as she is accounted an unhandsome bird ; her 
voice is harsh, somewhat like our jay in England ; they go in flocks 
and are harmful birds, for they are great devourers of corn and 
blossoms of trees, and the planters wish them destroyed, though 
they do not know which way. They are a kind of Stares [Starling], 
for they walk and do not hop as other birds. One thing I notice in 
these birds, which I never saw in any but them, and that is when 
they fly, they put their train into several postures; one while they 
keep it straight as in other birds ; sometimes they turn it edgeways, 
as the tail of a fish, and by and by put it three square with the cov¬ 
ering feathers atop, and the sides downwards.” 
This bird is common all over Barbados, especially about the 
estate works. Albinism appears to be rather common in this 
species. In September, 1903, I shot a male with some white 
feathers in its head at Grazettes, St. Michael; and while staying at 
the Marine hotel at Hastings during the first two weeks in Janu¬ 
ary, 1904, I saw two partial albinos in a flock which lived in a large 
tree just outside my window. I had a good chance to observe 
them, as they used to come, in company with many others, to the 
gallery just under my window every morning to be fed. One had 
the third left primary white. This bird also had a deformed bill; 
the upper mandible was much arched, giving it something the ap¬ 
pearance of an Ani. The other had several white feathers in each 
