SPERMOPHILA. 351 
The prevailing colours of Spermophila have been used to divide the genus into two 
sections, according to whether the species are chiefly rufous and black, or black and 
white; but this distinction is rather an artificial one, the last division being made 
to include grey species like S. grisea. 
1. Spermophila minuta. 
Loxia minuta, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 307°. 
Spermophila minuta, Lawr. Ann. Lyc. N.Y. vii. p. 383°; Sel. & Salv. P. Z. S. 1864, p. 352°; 1879, 
p- 506*; Scl. Ibis, 1871, p. 3°; Wyatt, Ibis, 1871, p. 328°; v. Berlepsch, J. f. Orn. 1884, 
p. 2947. 
Fuscescenti-cinerea, alis caudaque nigricantibus fusco limbatis ; speculo alari et subalaribus albis; uropygio 
et corpore subtus testaceo-rubris. Long. tota 3-6, ale 2:0, caude 1:6, tarsi 0°55. 
Q. Olivaceo-fusca, alis caudaque obscurioribus ; subtus pallide ochracea, ventre medio albicante. (Descr. maris 
et femine ex Lion Hill, Panama. Mus. nostr.) 
Hab. Panama, Lion Hill (/‘Leannan ?*),—Cotompia*®; Venezueta®; Gutana®, 
This is a species of the northern portion of South America, which just enters our 
fauna as far as the line of the Panama railway, beyond which we have not yet seen it. 
Here, however, it is by no means uncommon, M‘Leannan having sent us several 
specimens, as well as others to Mr. Lawrence. We have examples from Roraima sent 
us by Mr. Whitely, and it has long been known as a bird of Cayenne, being figured by 
D’Aubenton as the “ Bouvreuil 4 ventre roux de Cayenne” more than a hundred years 
ago. Mr. Sclater speaks of it, in his Monograph of Spermophila®, as found in the 
islands of Tobago and Trinidad and on the mainland in Venezuela and Colombia. 
In the latter country it was met with by Mr. Wyatt both at Ocafia and Paturia in the 
valley of the Magdalena ®, and by Salmon in the adjoining valley of the Cauca at Retiro 
and Medellin*. The last-named collector also found its nest, which he describes as like 
that of S. guttwralis, and made of stems of coarse dry grass, rather loosely put together 
and placed in a low bush about four or five feet from the ground. The eggs are 
white, clearly marked with several shades of rich red-brown spots*. The food of 
S. minuta consists of seeds 4. 
Allusion has been made to the intensity of the chestnut colouring of the underparts; 
and Graf von Berlepsch says that a Surinam bird in his collection, the true S. minuta 
of Linneus, has this colour of a deeper tint than others from Venezuela and Bucara- 
manga in Colombia. We also notice that a bird from British Guiana is the darkest in 
our series. On the other hand, our male from Roraima is exactly of the tint of the 
Panama bird, and a male from Medellin is intermediate between the extremes. 
2. Spermophila torqueola. 
Spermophila torqueola, Bp. Consp. Av. i. p. 495'; Scl. P. Z.S. 1858, p. 3037; Ibis, 1871, p. 6°; 
Dugés, La Nat. i. p.1389*; Lawr. Mem. Bost. Soc. N. H. ii. p. 276°. 
