329 
during a Cruise in the Caribbean Sea. 
Holoquiscalus insularis Richmond. 
Quiscalus insularis Richmond, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. xviii. 
p. 675 (1896). 
Holoquiscalus insularis Ridgway, Proc. Wash. Ac. Sci. iii. 
p. 151 (1901). 
Five males and three females. 
We met with many examples of this insular form, which 
has thoroughly established itself on the island. Strangely 
enough, it is not found on Blanquilla, which is only ten miles 
away—at any rate, I have never seen a single specimen there 
during three visits. 
The differences between this form and Holoquiscalus 
lugubris which inhabits the mainland are only slight; the 
males are rather larger, and the females differ in the much 
lighter brownish-grey colour of the throat, while the back 
and head are also lighter. 
Mr. Richmond says that the colour and pattern of colo¬ 
ration in the female are very similar to those of the female 
of Molothrus ater y but are slightly darker. 
The average measurements of my birds are as follows :— 
Wing. 
Tail. 
Exposed 
culmen. 
Tarsus. 
mm. 
mm. 
mm. 
mm. 
Five males . . 
118 
95 
27 
31 
Three females . 
102 
83 
23 
28 
Vo of my males 
are not 
fully adult. They 
are much 
browner above and below than adult birds, and some of the 
quill-feathers are almost pure hair-brown. All my specimens 
are in poor plumage, and the wings and tails are somewhat 
worn. These birds are apparently fond of a little animal 
diet, for I watched a female trying for a long time to break 
the egg of a Gannet which had just left its nest. It kept 
persistently hammering at the egg with its bill, and on 
being driven away quickly returned to the nest and 
commenced operations again. I saw them feeding on 
the flowers of the Agave, in the calyces of which they 
apparently find many insects attracted by the honey. Tn 
