326 TANAGRIDZA. 
Obs. Specimina quedam capitis lateribus frequentissime griseo notatis, torque pectorali quoque interdum obsoleta, 
differunt. 
Hab. Mexico 122822, hot and temperate regions of Vera Cruz (Sumichrast 18), Tierra 
Caliente of Atlantic coast (le Strange), Cordova (Sallé+*), Jalapa (de Oca®), Pa- 
pantla (Deppe*), Playa Vicente (Boucard"), Guichicovi, Santa Efigenia (Swmi- 
chrast *7), Yucatan (Cabot *4), Merida in Yucatan (Schott!®, Gawmer*!); Britis 
Honpuras, Belize (Blancaneaux); GuateMata (Velasquez de Leon ??, Constancia }®), 
Escuintla 4, Coban, Yzabal, Choctum, Savana Grande, Zapote, Mirandilla, Santa 
Lucia Cosamalguapa, San Agustin, Retalhuleu (0. S. & F. D. G.); Honpuras, 
Omoa (Leyland 7), San Pedro (G. M. Whitely 11), Comayagua (Taylor 13); Nica- 
RAGUA, Hato Viejo (Baater); Costa Rica, Pacuar (Carmiol *); Panama, Lion Hill 
(I Leannan 14), Obispo (O. S.), Panama city (4. H. Markham °°). 
Lesson’s name for this species, Saltator atriceps, and Lichtenstein’s, Tanagra gnatho, 
were both published in 1830; but in this case Lesson’s has been generally used. In 
the case of Tanagra abbas, Lichtenstein’s title has been adopted. Of course, both 
practices cannot be legally correct ; but, as the actual date of the publication of neither 
work can be accurately ascertained, the names in use may as well be adhered to. 
Bonaparte’s name, Arremon giganteus, based on a Guatemalan specimen, is a simple 
synonym of Saltator atriceps; so also is Cabot’s Pyrrhula raptor: this last name was 
proposed for the Yucatan bird, of which we have specimens differing in no way from 
our Central-American series. 
Saltator atriceps is a characteristic bird of the hotter country on both sides of the 
mountains of Mexico and Central America, as far south as the isthmus of Panama. 
Sumichrast states that in Southern Mexico it is found as high as 4000 feet above the 
sea. In Guatemala it occurred to us usually at lower elevations, and was particularly 
common in the forest-country of the mountains sloping towards the Pacific, at an 
elevation of about 2500 feet and under; and in Vera Paz it was also abundant in the 
neighbourhood of Choctum and similar situations. Saltator atriceps is rather a noisy 
bird, with a harsh note, and is generally seen in low trees bordering a clearing in the 
forested districts. Mr. Gaumer says it is very abundant near Merida in Yucatan, adding 
that it feeds on the flowers of a Convolvulus, and that he found other flowers, green 
leaves, and sometimes fruit in specimens which he dissected 2!. 
There is considerable difference between individual specimens of this species as 
regards the black band crossing the chest. In many examples this band is obsolete, 
the white throat extending to the grey of the underparts; in others a few black feathers 
appear, and every gradation can be traced to a band half to three quarters of an inch 
wide. Another point of still greater variation is in the colour of the cheeks. In 
nearly all our examples there if some admixture of grey with the black feathers; but 
in some they are wholly black. A rarer form of variation is in the colour of the throat, 
