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TURDUS SAN CTAi-LU0 1 JS [Sclater).
S ANTA-LUCIA THRUSH.
Margarops herminieri (nec Lair.), Scl. P. Z. S. 1871, p. 268; Semper, P. Z. S. 1872, p. 647.
Margarops sanctoe-lucice, Scl. Ibis, 1880, p. 73.
Margarops herminieri, var. semperi, Lawr. Bull. Nutt. Orn. d u b , v. p. 165 (1880).
Oichlherminia sanctce-lucice, Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. vi. p. 328 (1881) ; Cory, B. West
Ind. p. 22 (1889).
T. aimiliH T. herminieri, sed maxiM flavo apicatS, et subcaudalibus albis basin versbs brunneis distinguendus.
T he Santa-Lucia T hrush differs from T. herminieri of Guadeloupe in having the rufous shade on the*
lower throat and fore-neck not so strongly pronounced, and the inner lining of the quills of a lighter
rufous. The under tail-coverts have brown bases, but are white instead of cream-colour at the tips,
and the mandible is yellow on the culmen {cf. Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. vi. p. 327). Dr. Sclater
separated the species on the lighter colour of the back, the absence of black spots on the chest, and
the longer wing and tail in the Santa-Lucia bird.
The Rev. J. E. Semper, who forwarded the specimens on which the species was founded by
Dr. Sclater, says that it is called in Santa Lucia “ Molvie ” or “ Mauvie. He writes: “ This
bird is counted as one of our game birds, and is killed in large numbers from August to
January yearly. About October to December these birds are found in large numbers in flocks
feeding on the berries of certain trees; but for the remainder of the year they are dispersed in
pairs, and become very poor. They breed about April or May, the female building a nest o f
dried leaves, twigs, &c. on a bush or low tree, laying two eggs of a blue-green. They take very little
shot to kill them.”
The following is my description of the species in the sixth volume of the ‘ Catalogue of Birds :■
Adult male. General colour above ruddy brown, a little darker on the head; wing-coverts like
the back; quills dark brown, externally like the back; tail-feathers brown, with a bronzy gloss ;
lores and base of lower mandible rufous; ear-coverts and sides of face like the back, with fulvous
streaks on the former; throat fulvescent, with ruddy-brown streaks; fore-neck and breast ruddy-
brown, all the feathers distinctly centred with buffy white, producing a strongly mottled appearance,
which is continued down the sides of the body, where the centres of the feathers are larger and
whiter; abdomen and under tail-coverts white, the feathers edged with ruddy-brown on the lower
breast; the under tail-coverts with ruddy-brown bases ; axillaries and under wing-coverts white, with
yellowish-brown edges; the coverts near the edge of the wing brown, with whitish spots; quills
brown, edged with rufous along the inner web: “ feet bright yellow; iris dull green ’ (J .E . Semper).
Total length 10 inches, culmen 1*15, wing 5T5, tail 3*8, tarsus 1*6.
The female does not differ from the male in colour. Wing 5*35 inches. • [R- B. S.]