TACHYPHONUS. 309 
by crimson superciliaries. 7. chrysomelas, again, is chiefly yellow, the prevailing black 
colour of the other species being here confined to the middle of the back, the wings, 
and tail. | 
The females of all the species differ widely in colour from the males. 
In the following arrangement we have adhered to the plan sketched out in ‘ Exotic 
Ornithology ’ (p. 68), where the species are divided into crested and non-crested groups. 
This arrangement is somewhat arbitrary; but the species can readily be distinguished 
by it. 
A. Vertex haud cristatus. 
a. Uropygium dorso concolor. 
1. Tachyphonus melaleucus. 
Oriolus melaleucus, Sparrm. Mus. Carls. t. 31°. 
Tachyphonus melaleucus, Scl. P. Z. S. 1856, p. 118°; Scl. & Salv. P. Z. 8S. 1864, p. 851°; 1867, 
p- 571*; 1868, p. 167°; 1879, p. 503°; Lawr. Ann. Lyc. N.Y. vii. p. 3317; Pelz. Orn. 
Bras. p. 212°; Finsch, P. Z. S. 1870, p. 582°; Zeledon, Cat. Av. de Costa Rica, p. 7”. 
Tanagra rufa, Bodd. Tabl. Pl. Enl. p. 44". 
Oriolus leucopterus, Gm. Syst. Nat. 1. p. 892”. 
Tanagra nigerrima, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 899”. 
Tachyphonus nigerrimus, Cab. in Schomb. Reise n. Guiana, iii. p. 669"; Burm. Syst. Ueb. iii. 
p. 166”. 
Tachyphonus beauperthuyi, Bp. Compt. Rend. xxxii. p. 82”. 
Sericeo-niger, humeris et subalaribus albis, rostro nigro, pedibus obscure fuscis. Long. tota 7:0, ale 3°3, caude 
3°3, rostri a rictu 0°8, tarsi 0°8. 
@ ferruginea, subtus paulo dilutior. (Descr. maris et feminee ex Panama. Mus. nostr.) 
Hab. Costa Rica (Zeledon , Van Patten); Panama, Veraguas (Arcé), line of railway 
(M‘Leannan ?7, Arcé), Obispo (O. S.).—CoLomBia 2°; VENEZUELA® 16 and TRINIDAD 9; 
Guiana 114; Lower AMAZONS*; BRAZIL. 
We can see no difference in birds from different parts of the wide area indicated 
above, except that those from the north-western portion of the range of the species, 
Central America and Colombia, are rather smaller than those from Guiana and Brazil ; 
but the difference is immaterial. 
The first description given of this well-known species is that by Sparrman, who also 
figured it in his ‘Museum Carlsonianum’!, This description and figure were either 
overlooked or ignored until Mr. Sclater installed Sparrman’s name inits rightful position 
in 18562. 7. melaleucus was also figured by Daubenton in the ‘ Planches Enluminées,’ 
and thus received names both from Boddaert and Gmelin, those of the latter author 
being usually adopted by writers prior to 1856. Bonaparte also described the Vene- 
zuelan bird under the title of 7. beauperthuyi; but we can see no really tangible grounds 
for their separation. 
