^"'ig^^^n Nelson, Ne-u North American Birds. 253
DESCRIPTIONS OF THIRTY NEW NORTH AMERICAN
BIRDS, IN THE BIOLOGICAL SURVEY
COLLECTION.
BY E. W. NELSON.
Recent study of the rich collection of Mexican birds accumu-
lated by the Biological Survey has thrown much light on the
southward extension of the life zones found within the United
States. Many genera are represented in the various faunal areas
by distinct species, while in other cases wdde ranging species are
broken up into geographic races. The series of specimens from
almost every part of Mexico now in the collection show the exist-
ence of various hitherto unsuspected subordinate faunal areas,
and has proved rich in types of new species and subspecies. The
present paper gives some of the results of recent preliminary work
on the collection.
I am greatly indebted to Mr. Robert Ridgway, Curator, and
Dr. Chas. W. Richmond, Assistant Curator of Birds, in the IT. S.
National Museum, for cordial assistance during the preparation of
this paper. All measurements are given in millimeters.
Crypturus inornatus, sp. nov. Brown-backed Tinamou.
Type, No. 158434, $ ad., U. S. Nat. Mus., Biological Survey Collection.
Metlaltoyuca, Puebla, Mexico, February 14, 1898, E. A. Goldman.
Distribution,— Dense, humid tropical forests of northern Vera Cruz
and adjacent part of Puebla.
Specific characters. — Nearest C. nicxicanus, from which the males may
be distinguished by their deep reddish brown, slightly barred backs and
more rufous underparts ; the females are much deeper, more reddish
brown both above and below.
Description of adult male (type). — Crown and forehead black slightly
suffused with grayish ; nape dark reddish brown becoming light vandyke
brown with a faint purplish bloom on back and sides of neck and fore part
of shoulders ; shoulders and upper back plain, dark burnt umber ; rump and
upper tail-coverts lighter, more rusty brown and sparsely and indistinctly
barred with black ; primaries and secondaries dark slaty edged with brown-
ish ; wing-coverts, scapulars and tertials slightly paler brown than back
and finely and indistinctly maculated but not barred with blackish; sides
254 Nelson, Nevj North American Birds. Llu'ly
of head to upper part of neck cinnamon brown ; chin and throat white;
under side of neck along median line dingy grayish brown shading into
surrounding color; breast deep, dark cinnamon brown becoming darker
and browner on sides, and clearer, paler cinnamon along median line;
abdomen, flanks and under tail-coverts mixed butfy, whitish and dull cin-
namon obscurely and coarsely barred with blackish.
Dimejisions of ty-pe. — Wing, i66; tail, 56 ; culmen, 29; tarsus, 52.
Description of adultfemalefrom type locality. — Crown rusty, grayish
brown (becoming bright rusty brown on nape) and obscurely barred with
black ; back and sides of neck bright rusty cinnamon ; middle of fore part
of shoulders tawn^', sepia brown becoming dark cinnamon brown on
sides ; interscapular region dark umber brown shading into cinnamon on
upper tail-coverts with entire back coarsely and obscurely barred with
black; upper surface of wings slaty blackish coarsely barred with tawny
cinnamon; sides of head tawny cinnamon with a vinaceous shade on
adjacent part of neck; chin and throat white; under side of neck dark
ashy washed with rusty brown ; breast bright rusty cinnamon, darkest on
sides and palest next abdomen ; abdomen and flanks dull huffy, ob-
scurely and coarsely barred with blackish; under tail-coverts deep buff
coarsely maculated with black.
Dime7isio7is offemale.— Wing, 165; tail, 54; culmen, 29; tarsus, 52.
Gefieral notes.— The darker color and absence of black bars
on wings and fore back of the males separate this bird at once
from its nearest ally, C. mexicanus. The females are less distinct
;
the darker back and brighter colored nape and neck of C. inorna-
tus suffice, however, to distinguish it at a glance.
Both Crypturus mexicanus and C. occidefitalis inhabit the low,
scrubby thickets of arid tropical districts and may be distinguished
from their Mexican congeners of the more humid districts by their
much paler colors. The general resemblance of C. mexicatms of
Tamaulipas in eastern Mexico to C. occidentalis of Tepic, on the
opposite side of the Continent, but living in very similar climatic
conditions, is much greater than that of C. mexicanus to C. itior-
natus living in contiguous districts but with marked climatic
differences.
Dendrortyx macrourus dilutus, subsp. nov, Michoacan
Wood Grouse.
Type, No. 155562, $ ad., U. S. Nat. Mus., Biological Survey Collection.
Patzcuaro, Michoacan, Mexico, August 2, 1892, E. W. Nelson.
^°'i9^o^"] Nelson, Nerv North American Birds. 255
Distribution.—Mixed oak and pine forest on the Sierra Madre of Micho-
acan.
Subspecijic characters.—About equal in size to D. macrouriis with
broad central stripes of rustj chestnut on feathers of underparts nearly as
far back along sides as in D. m. striatiis. In general color, most like
typical D. macrourus but rusty chestnut about neck and under parts
paler; back, upper surface of wings, tail and sides of body with a decid-
edly less gray and more brownish suffusion ; bill very heavy and tumid
and only equalled by that of D. oaxaccB.
Dimensions of type.—"^'mg, 167; tail, 155; culmen, 19; tarsus, 56.
General notes.—It is with some hesitation that I name still an-
other form of Dendrorfyx macrourus., yet the bird described above
differs so much from any of the known forms that I see no other
course to pursue. This appears to be one of those species which
are in such a plastic condition that comparatively slight changes
in climatic conditions, accompanied by partial geographic isola-
tion, produce appreciable differences. In such cases it appears
preferable, when the differences are sufficiently marked, to recog-
nize these local forms, rather than to ignore them and include an
entire group of geographic races under a single name, as would be
the only other logical method.
Cyrtonyx montezumse mearnsi, subsp. nov. Mearns's
Quail.
Type, No. 142385, $ ad., U. S. Nat. Mus., Biological Survey Collec-
tion. Ft. Huachuca, Arizona, April 30, 1892, Dr. A. K. Fisher.
Distribution.—Southwestern Texas and the southern half of New Mex-
ico and Arizona, ranging thence into northern Mexico.
Subspecijic characters.—In both sexes generally paler than true C-
montezumcB ; the males much grayer or more ashy on upper side of wings
and paler brown on back ; posterior part of crest decidedly lighter brown ;
sides of breast and body paler slaty gray and more thickly white-spotted.
The females have paler backs with broader and more conspicuous pale
shaft streaks, especially on rump.
Ditnensions of type.—Wing, 117; tail, 58; culmen, 14; tarsus, 30.
General notes.—The Montezuma or Massena Quail of the South-
western United States occupies a more arid region than that in-
habited by the typical birds of the mountains bordering the Mexican
2C6 Nelson, Nevj North American Birds. Fjul''
tablelands farther south and, as might be expected, indicates this
difference in environment by its paler colors. The birds of south-
ern Arizona are typical of this pale form. It is named for Dr.
Edgar A. Mearns, U. S. A., in recognition of the great amount
of zoological work he has done in the region which it inhabits.
Amazona oratrix tresmariae, subsp. nov. Tres Marias
Parrot.
Type, No. 156735, $ ad., U. S. Nat. Mus., Biological Survey Collection.
Maria Madre Island, Tres Marias group, Western Mexico, May 4, 1S97,
E. W. Nelson and E. A. Goldman.
Distribution.—Tres Marias Islands, western Mexico.
Subspecific characters.—Distinguished from true A. oratrix by rather
light, grass green back, more bluish green underparts and much greater
extension of yellow on neck, especially on under side.
Dimensions of type.—Wing, 230; tail, 125; culmen, 34 ; tarsus, 26.
General notes.—The type of Mr. Ridgway's A. oratrix came from
Petapa, Oaxaca, not far from Tehuantepec City. From this point
they range through Western Mexico at least to the State of Colima,
and crossing the Isthmus of Tehuantepec reach Central Tamauli-
pas in Eastern Mexico. Birds from all parts of this wide range
are nearly uniform in color and agree in having the yellow on the
sides of the head and under side of the neck rarely extending
farther back than the ear-coverts and middle of the throat. In
the Tres Marias form, the yellow on the adult birds commonly
covers the entire head and neck and often encroaches on the
shoulders and breast. The back of true A. oratrix is oil green.
Very old birds of both forms often have the yellow feathers on the
hind neck, and sometimes on the lower neck, edged or banded
with dark red. This is much more pronounced in specimens from
the Tres Marias than in those from the mainland.
Momotus lessoni goldmani, subsp. nov. Goldman's Motmot.
7>/c,No. T5513S, $ ad., U. S. Nat. Mus., Biological Survey Collection.
Motzorongo, Vera Cruz, Mexico, March 5, 1S94, E. W^ Nelson and E. A.
Goldman.
^"'^J^n Nelson, Netv North Americafi Birds. 257
Distribution.—Humid tropical forests of Vera Cruz, adjacent part of
Oaxaca, and south along the Gulf Coast probably to Yucatan.
Subspecific characters.—Body much greener than M. /essoni with only
a light suffusion of brown on breast ; blue border of crown paler, with
only a trace of or entirely lacking the rich smalt blue along posterior
border.
Description of type.—Lores, cheeks and line over eyes and isolated oval
area on middle of crown black ; black crown patch broadly bordered by
pale greenish blue nearly uniform and never showing more than a trace
of rich smalt blue border posteriorly, so conspicuous in true M. lessoni
;
dorsal surface, including sides of head, back of eyes, neck and back light
olive green anteriorly and shading into grass green on lower back, rump
and upper tail-coverts ; tail grass green at base, shading gradually into
blue near end and tipped with black; primaries edged with dark greenish
blue, this color shading through dark bluish green on secondaries to
nearly dark green on tertials ; chin and throat light grass green shading
imperceptibly into olive green of neck, breast and sides of body, and
thence into clearer green on abdomen and flanks.
Dimensions of type.—Wing, 142 ; tail, 246; culmen, 49; tarsus, 32.
General tiotes.—This subspecies may be easily distinguished by
the absence of nearly all of the dark rufous suffusion which gives
a strong reddish shade to the underparts of M. lessoni, and by the
lighter, greener back and uniform greenish blue border of the
crown. Specimens from Huehuetan on the Pacific coast of Chia-
pas, are nearly typical M. lessoni, as are those from Costa Rica.
M. lessoni goldmani appears to be found only on the Gulf Coast of
Mexico. The type of M. lessoni came from Realejo, Nicaragua.
Melanerpes frontalis, sp. nov. Chiapas Woodpecker.
Type, No. 154938, $ ad.,U. S.Nat. Mus., Biological Survey Collection.
San Vincente, Chiapas, Mexico, December 12, 1S95, E. W. Nelson and
E. A. Goldman.
Distribution.— Known only from type locality.
General characters. — Scarlet crown patch usually small and separated
from orange yellow nape by a dark smoky gray area; back broadly barred
black and white; rump and middle tail-feathers strongly barred black
and white. Pattern of markings on head and back most like that of
M. hoffmanni.
Description of type. — Nasal tufts pale yellowish ; forehead dull white
with backward extension of same along sides of crown to middle of orbits,
258 Nelson, Nexv North American Birds. - \\^
enclosing on sides the small crown patch of scarlet ; latter separated from
rich orange nape by broad band of dark smoky gray nearly uniform with
rest of head, neck and breast; middle of back and rump broadly barred
with black and white as in M. kqffmanni {\.Y\e white bars much broader
than in M. santacruzi) ; upper tail-coverts white, with broken V-shaped
black markings ; middle tail-feathers white broadly barred on basal third
and along inner webs, except at tips, with black; border of outer webs on
distal third and entire tips black, upper surface of wings broadly barred
with white ; middle of primaries with irregular but well marked white
area; abdomen barred with dull black and white and thinly washed with
orange yellow; under tail-coverts white heavily barred with black; two
outer tail feathers black with well marked white bars.
Dimensions of type.— Wing, 135; tail, 81 ; culmen, 30; tarsus, 21.
General notes. — M. frontalis resembles M. hoffmajini of Costa Rica,
but is considerably larger, with a smaller red patch on the crown, and the
lower parts are much paler gray with a paler wash of yellow on the
abdomen. The crissum is strongly barred black and white in place of the
V-shaped marks of 71/. hoffmanni and the two outer tail feathers are dis-
tinctlv barred with white.
Melanerpes santacruzi fumosus, subsp. nov. Smoky-
breasted Woodpecker.
Type, No. 154964, J ad., U. S. Nat. Mus., Biological Survey Collection.
Huehuetan, Chiapas, Mexico, March 2, 1896, E. W. Nelson and E. A-
Goldman.
Distribution. — Pacific Coast district of southern Chiapas and adjacent
part of Guatemala.
General characters.— Generally similar to M. santacruzi but smaller
with heavier bill, darker back; under parts grayer, less brownish ; lower
rump and upper tail-coverts barred or marked with black.
Description of type. — Nasal tufts faintly washed with yellow ; forehead
dull whitish ; crown and nape with a broad continuous band of scarlet
tinged posteriorly with golden ; back and top of wings broadly barred
with black and narrowly barred with white; rump white irregularly
marked with black ; upper tail-coverts with black shaft lines ; middle tail
feathers black, lateral ones inconspicuously marked with white; sides and
under parts of head, neck and body to abdomen dark, dingy, smoky gray
with a slight brownish tinge; abdomen obsoletely barred with black and
dull Avhitish and washed with orange ; under tail-coverts strongly barred
black and white.
Dimensions of type.— Wing, 137; tail, 76; culmen, 31 ; tarsus, 22.
Vol. XVII
1900 1 Nelson, Ne-v North Amertcart Biras. 2^59
General notes. — This form differs from M. polygrammiis by its
much darker back and underparts ; its barred and black-marked
rump and upper tail-coverts and generally unmarked rectrices
and more heavily barred under tail-coverts.
Melanerpes dubius veraecrucis, subsp. nov. Vera Cruz
Woodpecker.
Type, No. 154835, $ ad., U. S. Nat. Mus., Biological Survey Collection.
Coatzacoalcos, Vera Cruz, Mexico, April 15, 1896, E. W. Nelson and E. A.
Goldman.
Distribution.— Southern half of Vera Cruz, Tabasco, and bordering
part of Chiapas.
Siibspecific characters. — Smaller than M. dubius with broader white
frontal area and rather broader white barring on dorsal surface; sides
and lower part of head, neck, and body darker, more brownish gray;
crissum more heavily barred with black.
Dimetisions of type.— Wing, 124; tail, 76; culmen, 29; tarsus, 23.
General Notes. — This form inhabits a region of much greater
humidity than that of typical M. dubius and a specimen from the
heavily forested region of Chiapas is darker than Vera Cruz
birds and probably represents the extreme of the form in this
respect.
Dryobates villosus intermedius, subsp. nov. Tableland
Woodpecker.
Type, No. 154901, $ ad., U. S. Nat. Mus., Biological Survey Collection.
Villar, San Luis Potosi, Mexico, September 22, 1892, E. W. Nelson.
Distribution.— Arid mountains of the southern and eastern part of the
Mexican tableland, north of the valley of Mexico.
Subspecific characters.—Intermediate in size between D. v. hyloscopus
and D. v. jardinii. The upper surface of wings scantily white-spotted
much as in D. jardinii ; lores mainly black; throat, lower side of neck
and breast smoky gray, much paler than in D.jardinii, abdomen more
whitish and under tail-coverts white; stripe down back washed with
smoky but much paler than color of breast.
Dimensions of type.—Wing, 121; tail, 76; culmen, 28; tarsus, 23.
260 Nelsox, Netv North Ainerican Birds. \^^
Nyctibius jamaicensis mexicanus, subsp. nov. Mexican
I Goatsucker.
Type^ No. 158535, $ ad., U. S. Nat. Mire., Biological Survey Collection.
Metlaltoj'uca, Puebla, Mexico, January 26, 1898, E. A. Goldman.
Distribution.—Eastern coast region of Mexico north to northeastern
Puebla.'
Subspecijic characters.—Similar to JV.Jafnaicensis but decidedly larger
and browner, this last character being specially marked on lesser wing-
coverts
;
pale spots along outer border of primaries much duller gray in
less vivid contrast to dark part of feathers.
Measuremeiits of type.—Wing, 310; tail, 220; culmen, 29; tarsus, 16.
General notes.—An adult 9 from the same locality as the type
measures, wing, 304; tail, 224; culmen, 26; tarsus, 14. An
adult bird, sex unknown, but probably a male, from Mirador, Vera
Cruz, measures: wing, 310; tail, 220; culmen, 24; tarsus, 15.
A specimen from the island of Jamaica and representing typical
N. jamaicensis measures: wing, 275 ; tail, 186; culmen, 23; tar-
sus, 13.
Antrostomus oaxacae, sp. nov. Oaxaca Whippoorwill.
Type, No. 154735, $ ad., U. S. Nat. Mus., Biological Survey Collection.
Near City of Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico, August 14, 1894, E. W. Nelson and
E. A. Goldman.
Distribution.—Sierra Madre bordering southern part of Mexican table-
land from Michoacan through Oaxaca to adjacent part of Chiapas.
Specific characters.—Most closely related to A. macromystax but back
darker ; black spots on scapulars larger ; feathers of nape rather coarsely
barred with black and reddish brown ; middle of back and rump heavily
streaked with black and spotted and mottled with reddish and grayish
brown ; below entire breast and sides of body blackish coarsely marked
with irregular spots of grayish and reddish brown ; the fine maculation
of back and breast characteristic of A. macromystax almost wholly replaced
in this species by coarser spotting, rendering the two easily separable.
Dimensions of type.—Wing, 162; tail, 119; culmen, 14; tarsus, i8.
* This species has been recorded from Mazatlan, Sinaloa, and thence south-
ward on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, and the birds found there probably
belong to the present subspecies, but I have seen no specimens from that re-
gion, so cannot be certain.
Vol. XVII
1900 j Nelson, Nexv North American Birds. 26
1
General notes.—It is possible that the present bird may be found
to be a subspecies of A. macromystax but this appears rather un-
likely considering the typical character of specimens of the latter
taken on the border of the range of A. oaxacce.
Antrostomus chiapensis, sp. nov. Chiapas Whippoorwill.
Type, No. 154737, $ ad., U. S. Nat. Mus., Biological Survey Collection.
Vallej of Comitan, Chiapas, Mexico, December 11, 1895, E. W. Nelson and
E. A. Goldman.
Distribution.—Known only from tj'pe locality' near border of Guate-
mala.
Specific characters.—Darker even than A. salvini ; back and upper sur-
face of wings spotted and barred with rufous brown; under parts blackish
coarsely marked with dull buffy ; under tail-coverts not barred.
Description of type.—Crown Avith broad median streak of black with a
few oval rufous brown spots along borders; sides of crown rather coarsely
mottled with black, gray and brown ; foreback black obscurely barred Avith
dull rufous brown; rest of back, rump and upper tail-coverts black with
transverse spots of rufous brown on edges of feathers, most heavily
marked on coverts; scapulars black with large spots of rusty buff along
borders; upper surface of wings and outer edges of primaries distinctly
spotted with a deeper shade of same ; upper surface of tail black rather
finely mottled with rusty and dark grayish forming indistinct V-shaped
bands; sides of head blackish mixed with dark golden buffy; chin and
throat black irregularly barred with dingy rusty and rusty whitish, suc-
ceeded by a narrow white collar; rest of underside of body black, coarsely
but obscurely barred with grayish and rusty brown on forebreast ; coarsely
spotted with pale dingy, rusty white on rest of breast and sides, and
broadly but obscurely barred with dark, dingy buff; under tail-coverts
dark buff with hidden shaft bands of black; inside of inner webs of pri-
maries almost uniform black with only slight traces of dark rusty spots
;
white on outer ends of tail feathers about as in A. vociferus.
Ditnensions of type.—Wing, 169; tail, 127; culmen, 14; tarsus, iS.
General notes.—The only specimen taken of this well marked
species was secured in the border of the mixed oak and pine forest
on the highlands of Chiapas near the Guatemalan line.
262 Nelson, Nc-m North American Birds. \\^
'; Cypselus brunneitorques griseifrons, subsp. nov. Northern
Rufous-collared Swift.
Tyfe^ No. 157055, $ ad., U. S. Nat. Miis., Biological Survey Collection.
Santa Teresa, Territory of Tepic, Mexico, August S, 1S97, E. W. Nelson
and E. A. Goldman.
Distribution.—Sierra Madre Mountains of Tepic, Jalisco, Western Zaca-
tecas and Southern Durango, Mexico.
Subspecijic characters.—Male differs from typical C. brunneitorques in
more distinctly gray edges to feathers of forehead and over eyes ; smaller
dark throat patch
;
paler, more rusty rufous collar; with paler and more
grayish shade of black over entire body. The female differs from typical
birds in its grayer forehead; darker chin and throat; grayer and less
brownish shade to black on entire body; and in having the rump paler
than rest of back, forming a poorly marked rump patch.
Dimensions of type.—Wing, 122; tail, 41 ; culmen, 5; tarsus, 12.
Thalurania ridgwayi, sp. nov. Ridgway's Thalurania.
Type., No. 1559S1, U. S. Nat. Mus., Biological Survey Collection.
San Sebastian, Jalisco, Mexico, March iS, 1897, E. W. Nelson and E. A.
Goldman.
Distribution. — Known only from type locality.
Specific characters.— Readily distinguished from other known mem-
bers of the genus by the dark, non-metallic underparts.
Description of type.— Top of head from base of bill to middle of
crown dark metallic blue; rest of crown dark, rather dull bluish green;
sides of head, back of eyes, upper half of neck and entire back bronzy
green, darkest on upper tail-coverts ; wings dark purplish brown ; tail
lustrous black with slight purplish gloss ; chin, sides of head to lower
side of orbits, and entire under side of neck brilliant metallic green
;
under side of body dull blackish washed with metallic greenish on sides;
under coverts lustrous black.
Dimensions. — Wing, 57; tail, 33 ; culmen, 17.
General notes.— This species extends the range of the genus
from Honduras to Central-Western Mexico and is the most unex-
pected of the results obtained during our brief visit to the ' island '
of humid tropical forest found near San Sebastian on the arid
tropical west slope of Jalisco. The number of new and interest-
ing birds found during our visit of a few days duration at that
locality is sufificient to justify much more thorough work there.
Vol. XVII
i«)o^n Nelson, Nevj North American Birds. 263
It gives me great pleasure to name this interesting species in
honor of Mr. Robert Ridgway.
^ Empidonax timidus, sp. nov. IDurango Flycatcher.
Type,~^o. 163905, (J ad., U. S. Nat. Mus., Biological Survey Collection.
El Salto, Durango, Mexico, July 17, 189S, E. VV. Nelson and E. A.
Goldman.
Distribution. — Known only from the type locality.
Sfecific characters. — Much like E. albigularis but larger ^vith broader
bill and paler colors.
Description of type. — Top of head and back, hair brown, slightly
darkest on head and palest on rump; upper tail-coverts broccoli brown
;
upper surface of wing and tail feathers dull blackish hair brown ; sec-
ondaries and tertials edged with dull whitish ; two distinct wing bands;
the anterior one dark buffy, the posterior one buffy whitish ; sides of head
and neck paler more grayish brown than back with a pale bufty suffusion
;
sides of breast pale grayish brown ; only a faint indication of pectoral band;
chin and throat whitish shaded with pale buffy ; middle of breast, belly
and under tail-coverts dull buffy yellowish, underlaid with pale grayish
brown on breast but clear on belly and tail-coverts ; under wing-coverts
rusty buffy a little paler than in E. albigularis ; owiSYweh of outer tail
feathers a little paler than inner web.
Dimensions of type.— Wing, 62 ; tail, 57 ; culmen, 11; width of bill at
rictus, 8 ; tarsus, 17.
l^
Empidonax bairdi perplexus, subsp. nov. Oaxaca Green
Flycatcher.
Type, No. 154569, $ ad., U. S. Nat. Mus., Biological Survey Collec-
tion. Puerto Angel, Oaxaca, Mexico, March 13, 1S95, E.W. Nelson and
E. A. Goldman.
Distribution.— Arid west coast region of Mexico from near Tehuante-
pec north to the Territorj' of Tepic.
Subspecific characters.— Similar to E. bairdibut back lighter greenish,
wing bands and edgings to secondaries and tertials much paler, more
yellowish; larger and paler yello\vish area on chin and throat; pectoral
band much more restricted, with more of a dull brownish shade ; sides of
body less heavily washed with olive greenish ; rest of lower parts paler
yellow.
Dimensions of type.— Wing, 62; tail, 55; culmen, 12; tarsus, 16.5.
264 Nelson, Nezv North Amerkati Birds. rtuly
General notes. — This form is most readily distinguished from
E. bairdi by the generally paler color and the much greater
extension of the yellow on under parts, the broad area of olive
green on the sides of the neck and across the breast being much
more restricted and with a more brownish shade.
In 1897 I described Empidonax bairdi occidentalis (Auk, XIV,
p. 53) and the name was intended to apply to the present form
but by an unfortunate slip the specimen chosen and designated
as the type, in the light of further material, proves to be strictly
referable to E. bairdi and it consequently becomes necessary to
choose a new type and redescribe the subspecies. The error
came about through the fact that both E. bairdi 2ind E. b. occi-
dentalis occur in winter at Pluma, Oaxaca, the type locality for
the last named bird, and are represented in our collection from
that point. Nearly typical E. bairdi also occurs in winter in
western Durango (Chacala) but we took only specimens of
E. b. perplexus between these two points.
Myiopagis placens jaliscensis, subsp, nov. Jalisco
\ Flycatcher.
Type, No. 156022, $ ad., U. S. Nat. Mus., Biological Survey Collec-
tion. San Sebastian, Jalisco, Mexico, March 18, 1S97, E. W. Nelson and
E. A. Goldman.
Distribution. — Western Mexico from Southern Sinaloa south at least
through Jalisco and Tepic; straying in winter to Tres Marias Islands.
Subspecijic characters.— Larger than typical M. piace/is with propor-
tionately as well as absolutely longer tail ; top of head paler and grayer;
rest of dorsal surface lighter green ; yellow of under parts paler.
Measurements 0/ type.— Wing, 70 ; tail, 70.5 ; culmen, 11; tarsus, 19.
General notes.— A specimen in the National Museum from
the Tres Marias Islands which I referred to M. placens in my
report upon the birds of those islands belongs to the present
subspecies.
Sittasomus sylvioides jaliscensis, subsp. nov. Jalisco
Rufous-tailed Creeper.
Type., No. 156012, $ ad., U. S. Nat. Mus., Biological Survey Collec-
tion. San Sebastian, Jalisco, Mexico, March 17, 1S97, E. W. Nelson and
E. A. Goldman.
' /
^"'I'g'^^"] Nelson, Nexv North American Birds. 265
Distribution.— Known only trom the type localitj'.
Subspecific characters. — Distinguished from the typical S. sylvioides
of eastern Mexico by its larger size and darker grayish brown underparts.
DimensioHS of type. — Wing, 84 ; tail, 89; culmen, 16; tarsus, 18.5.
Dendrornis flavigaster megarhynchus, subsp. nov. Large-
billed WOODHEWER.
Type, No. 154633, $ ad., U. S. Nat. INIus., Biological Survey Collection.
Puerto Angel, Oaxaca, Mexico, March 9, 1895, E. W. Nelson and E. A.
Goldman.
Distribution.— Pacific coast of Oaxaca, and perhaps adjacent part of
Guerrero, north of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.
Subspecijic characters.— Larger, with a longer and much heavier bill
than either D.JJavigaster or D. flavigaster vieiitalis ] nearlj- intermediate
between the two in color.
Dimensions of type. — Wing, 119; tail, 92 ; culmen, 45; tarsus, 25.
General notes.—D. flavigaster is restricted to the wooded moun-
tain slopes of Avestern Mexico from the Territory of Tepic south
to Guerrero where it grades into D.f. i7iegarhyjichus. The range
of D. f. mentalis is restricted to Sinaloa and the bordering west
slope of the Sierra Madre in Tepic and Durango.
Xanthoura luxuosa speciosa, subsp. nov. Jalisco Green
Jay.
Type, No. 166055, $ a^., U. S. Nat. Mus., Biological Survey Collection.
San Sebastian, Jalisco, Mexico, March 13, 1897, E. W. Nelson and E. A.
Goldman.
Distribution.— Tropical and subtropical parts of western Jalisco, south-
ern Sinaloa and Tepic.
Description of type.— Nasal tufts and cheek patches intermediate be-
tween smalt blue and French blue; crown pale almost campanula blue;
spot over and under back part of orbit white, edged with blue; forehead
white, shaded with pale yellow; basal part of feathers on entire crown
sulphur yellow; black area on sides of head, chin, throat and forebreast,
also green on back and tail, about as in typical A", luxuosa ' sides of neck,
a well-marked border to black of breast, and median ventral line thence
to vent, chrome 3ellow; sides of body washed with brighter green than in
X. luxuosa ; under tail-coverts and lateral tail feathers uniform chrome
yellow of a richer shade than on breast and median line.
Dimensions of type.— Wing, 125; tail, 150; culmen, 29; tarsus, 41.5.
266 Nelson, New North American Birds. ftuly
General notes.—This well-marked subspecies may be at once
distinguished from the other races of A', luxuosa by the white
spots above and below the eyes, the yellow bases of the feathers
on the crown and the yellow on the sides of the neck, around the
border of the black on the breast, and along the middle of the
lower parts. Two specimens in the National Museum from Colima
are intermediate between the present form and A". /. vivida but are
nearest the latter.
Callothorus aeneus assimilis, subsp. nov. Small Red-eyed
COWBIRD.
Type, No. 144490, $ ad., U. S. Nat. Mus., Biological Survey Collection.
Acapulco, Gueirero, Mexico, January 25, 1S95, E. W. Nelson and E. A.
Goldman.
Distribution.— Pacific coast of Mexico from southern Jalisco and Colima
to Chiapas.
Subspecific characters. — Male similar to C. crneus but much smaller.
Female unknown.
Measurements of type. — Wing, 114; tail, 80 ; culmen, 21; tarsus, 30.
General ?iotes.—Birds from San Bias, Tepic, are intermediate in
size between typical C. a;neiis from Mazatlan and C. a. assimilis
from Colima and the interior of southern Jalisco.
Sturnella magna alticola, subsp. nov. Highland Meadow-
lark.
Type., No. 144524, $ ad., U. S. Nat. ISIus., Biological Survey Collection.
Ocuilapa, Chiapas, Mexico, August 21, 1895, E.W.Nelson and E.A.Gold-
man.
Distribution.— Pacific coast of Mexico from Salina Cruz, Oaxaca, to
Tonala, Chiapas, and thence through the high interior of Chiapas and the
highlands of Guatemala at least to Duenas.
Subspecific characters. — Similar to 5. magna of the eastern United
States but intermediate in size between it and the pigmj- 5. m. inexspectata ;
the bill smaller than in 5. magna but tarsus relatively and absolutely
longer, averaging about 43 mm.; yellow of throat extends up on middle
of whitish malar stripe but never occupies all of it as in 5'. neglecta.
Dimensions of type.— Wing, 113; tail, 70 ; culmen, 32; tarsus, 43.
Vol. XVII
1900 1 Nelsox, Ne-cV North American Birds. 267
General notes.—This form may be readily separated from magna,
mcxicana, inexspectata and hoopesi by its proportions and by the
yellow on the malar stripe, and from neglecta by its darker colors.
Quiscalus macrourus obscurus, subsp. nov. Guerrero
Grackle.
Type, No. 144595, $ ad., U. S. Nat. Mus., Biological Survey Collection.
Acapulco. Guerrero, Mexico, January 14, 1S95, E. W. Nelson and E. A.
Goldman.
Distribution. — Pacific coast region of Mexico from San Bias, Tepic, to
southern Guerrero.
Subspecific characters. — Similar to but smaller than true ^. inacrourus
Males scarcely distinguishable in color but females very much darker than
those of the typical bird.
Description of type.— Above brownish black glossed with dull greenish ;
head a little browner than middle of back; below very dark almost black-
ish with greenish; throat and neck only slightly paler than rest of under
parts.
Dimensions of type.— Wing, 159; tail, 162 ; culmen, 32 ; tarsus, 45.
Amphispiza bilineata pacifica, subsp. nov. Sonora Black-
throated Sparrow.
Type, No. 164339, $ ad., U.iS. Nat. Mus., Biological Survey Collection.
Alamos, Sonora, Mexico, December 29, 1S9S, E. A. Goldman.
Distribution. — Pacific coast region of southern Sonora and northern
Sinaloa.
Siibspecifc characters. — In general appearance similar to true A. bilin-
eata from Texas but with much smaller white spots on ends of tail feath-
ers, in this character agreeing with A. b. dcserticola from Avhich it differs
in darker color and smaller size.
Dimensions of type. — Wing, 63; tail, 57; culmen, 10; tarsus, 19.
Vireo perquisitor, sp. nov. Vera Cruz Vireo.
Type, No. 1640S4, $ ad., U. S.Nat. Mus., Biological Survey Collec-
tion. Papantla, Vera Cruz, Mexico, March 12, 1898, E. A. Goldman.
Distributioti.— Heavily forested coast country in northern Vera Cruz.
General characters. — Resembles V. noveboracensis but smaller with
darker, slenderer bill, and much darker and duller colors above and
below, especially on throat and breast.
268 Nelson, Ne^v North American Birds. \\\M
Description of type.— Bill rather slender, black; lores orange yellow;
crown and rest of dorsal surface olive green, slightly darkest on crown
and greenest on rump; upper surface of wings and tail grayish black, the
feathers mostly edged with green like back ; wing-coverts the same with
yellowish white tips to greater and lesser coverts, forming two well-
marked wing bands; eye with narrow white ring; cheeks, ear-coverts
and sides of neck dark olive gray; a paler shade of same extending as a
dark wash over pale greenish yellow of chin and throat and over
darker greenish yellow of breast and sides of body ; a small whitish area
on middle of belly; abdomen mainly, and all of under tail-coverts, Naples
yellow.
Dimensions of type. — Wing, 57 ; tail, 45 ; culmen, 11.5 ; tarsus, 18.
Vireo amauronotus strenuus, subsp. nov. Chiapas Vireo.
Type, No. 143399, $ ad., U. S. Nat. Mus., Biological Survey Collec-
tion. Tumbala, Chiapas, Mexico, November 5, 1S95, E. W. Nelson and
E. A. Goldman.
Distribution. — Heavily forested mountain slopes up to 5000 feet in
northern Chiapas.
Siibspecific characters.— Smaller than true V. amauronotus with longer,
slenderer bill ; crown and back darker, more smoky brownish (former
almost blackish) with less greenish shading on back and wings; color of
under parts same as in V. amauronotus.
Dimensions of type.— Wing, 68; tail, 47 ; culmen, 12.5; tarsus, 18.
Basileuterus belli scitulus, subsp. nov. Guatemalan
Warbler.
Type, No. 143293, ^ ad., U. S. Nat. Mus., Biological Survey Collec-
tion. Todos Santos, Guatemala, December 30, 1895, E. W. Nelson and
E. A. Goldman.
Distributio7i. — Highlands of Chiapas and Guatemala.
Subspecific characters. — Larger than B. belli Ixorxx northeastern Mex-
ico, and decidedly darker green on back and darker yellow on under parts
with heavier wash of green on sides.
Dimensions of type. — Wing, 65; tail, 61 ; culmen, 12 ; tarsus, 23.
General Notes. — An average male of nearly typical B. belli
from northeastern Mexico (Mt. Zempoaltepec) measures as fol-
lows : Wing, 57 ; tail, 60; culmen, 11 ; tarsus, 22.5.
^"looo^"! Nelson, Nezv North American Birds. 269
Geothlypis trichas modestus, subsp. nov. San Blas Yel-
LOWTHROAT.
Type., No. 157204, $ ad., U. S. Nat. Mus., Biological Survey Collec-
tion. San Bias, Territory of Tepic, Mexico, June 12, 1897, E. W. Nelson
and E. A. Goldman.
Distribution. — West coast of Mexico from southern Sinaloa south at
least to Colima.
Subspecific characters. — Smaller than typical G. trichas from the
eastern United States, with the green of back darker, more brownish
olive and brownish flanks ; black frontlet and white border to same nearly
as in G. t. occide?italis.
Dimensions oftype.— Wing, 52 ; tail, 49; culmen, 12 ; tarsus, 19.
General notes. — This small dark form is resident in the area
given for its range and we took yovmg birds at San Bias in June.
The young as well as the adults are distinguishable by their dark
color.
Thryothorus felix grandis, subsp. nov. Morelos Wren.
TjT^e, No. 142949, $ ad., U. S. Nat. Mus., Biological Survey Collection.
Yautepec, Morelos, Mexico, January 18, 1893, E. W. Nelson.
Distribution.— Southwestern Puebla, Morelos and adjacent part of
Guerrero.
Subspecific characters. — Much larger than the other forms of this spe-
cies; paler than true T. felix and darker than the pale Sinaloa form.
Dimensions of type.— Wing, 60; tail, 61 ; culmen, 18; tarsus, 23.
General notes. — These Wrens are very common in brushy places
of the arid and semitropical country they inhabit, and like their
near relatives are very musical.
Harporhynchus curvirostris maculatus, subsp. nov.
SoNORA Thrasher.
Txpe, No. 164734, $ ad., U. S. Nat. Mus., Biological Survey Collection.
Alamos, Sonora, ISIexico, December 23, 1S9S, E. A. Goldman.
Distribution.— Southern Sonora, northern Sinaloa and southwestern
Chihuahua (on western slope).
2 70 Howe, Neiv Subspecies of Hylocichla. Lfuly
Subsfecific characters.— Most closely related to H. c. occidentalis from
which it may be distinguished by its darker colors and smaller size.
Dimension^ of type.— Wing, 105; tail, 115; culmen, 29; tarsus, 36.
General ftotes.— This is the darkest of all the races of If. ciirvi-
rostris and has a heavy wash of brownish gray on the lower parts
which becomes heaviest on the distinctly spotted breast. The
abdomen and under tail-coverts are deep fvilvous buffy washed
with gray.
A NEW SUBSPECIES OF THE GENUS HYLOCICHLA.
BY REGINALD HEBER HOWE, JR.
Since I published my paper on 'The Ranges of Hylocichla fusces-
cens and Hylocichla fuscescens salicicola ' in ' The Auk ' for January,
1900 (Vol. XVII, No. I, pp. 18-25), I have had quite a number of
additional specimens sent me for examination and identification.
These have forced me to recognize that a subspecific difference ex-
ists between the Hylocichla fuscescens salicicola of the West and the
bird inhabiting Newfoundland, which in my former paper I referred
to this same race. I noticed at that time that a slight difference did
exist, but did not deem it worthy of separation ; not being in favor
of describing slight variations. I am now, however, of the opinion
that the Newfoundland bird is subspecifically distinct from the
western xd!//V/V(?/a, though nearer this race than to Hylocichla fus-
cescens. This difference, now apparent, proves the necessity of
having, in describing species and subspecies, very large series
with which to work. My former paper was based on the examina-
tion of far more specimens than a great many of our recognized
subspecies have been described from, and yet the addition to that
series has proved that if the western race salicicola is recognized
the race inhabiting Newfoundland also must be, or in other words
that the former series of thirty-six specimens only barely suggest-
ed what the addition of eleven more specimens proves.