STURNELLA. A457 
Sturnelia neglecta, Aud. B. N. Am. vii. p. 839, t. 489”; Baird, Mex. Bound. Surv. ii., Zool. 
Birds, p. 19”. 
Sturnella magna, var. neglecta, Lawr. Mem. Bost. Soc. N. H. ii. p. 281. 
Sturnella mexicana, Scl. Ibis, 1861, p. 179”; P. Z. S. 1864, p. 175 °°; Cass. Pr. Ac. Phil. 1866, 
p- 24°"; Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. viii. p. 176%. 
- Sturnella magna, var. mexicana, Lawr. Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. no. 4, p. 24°. 
Sturnella magna mexicana, Perez, Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1886, p. 152”. 
Sturnella ?, Sumichrast, Mem. Bost. Soc. N. H. i. p. 552". 
Nigra ; fuscescente-cervina, variegata et transfasciolata ; superciliis posticis et linea verticali pure cervinis, super-- 
ciliis anticis et corpore medio subtus flavis ; genis griseo-albidis, linea postoculari et torque pectorali nigris ; 
hypochondriis et crisso pallide cervinis nigro guttatis ; cauda medialiter nigra, rectricibus quatuor inter- 
mediis extrorsum grisescentibus, hoc colore introrsum profunde serrato, rectricibus utrinque tribus externis 
fere albis ; rostro corneo, pedibus corylinis. Long. tota 9, ale 4°5, caude 3, rostri a rictu 1:2, tarsi 1°6. 
(Descr. feminze ex Duenas, Guatemala. Mus. nostr.) 
3 femine similis. 
ffab. Norta America, from Southern Canada southwards. — Mexico ?!?3 (Sallé 5, 
Pease **+, Deppe"), Coahuila, Espia (Kennerly °°), Mazatlan (Grayson *4), Ciudad in 
Durango (Forrer >), Real del Monte (Bullock *), Valley of Mexico ( White °°), Llano 
de Chapulco, Chietla (Perez 4°), State of Vera Cruz (Sumichrast*'), Jalapa (de 
Oca ?*), Oaxaca (Boucard *"), Barrio, Santa Efigenia (Sumichrast °°); Rio Lagartos 
(Gaumer 9); British Honpuras, Belize (Leyland °°); Guaremaa (Constancia \), 
pine-ridges of Poctun (0. S.°), Duefas (0. 8.75%); Honpuras, Comayagua 
(Taylor ®); Costa Rica (v. Frantzius 1° 13), San José (Carmiol 11), Cartago (Arcé®, 
Rogers ®); Panama, David (Hicks **), Volcan de Chiriqui (Bridges *), Volcan de 
Chiriqui, Castillo, Calovevora (Arcé 14).—Sourn America, Colombia 1°, Venezuela °, 
Guiana 4; Cupa 7231, | 
Few birds have been subjected to more varied treatment as to its name than this 
species. At one time Mr, Sclater considered it to be divisible into five separate forms, 
or local races, namely Sturnedla ludoviciana of the Eastern States, extending westward 
to the high central plains, S. neglecta of the Western States, S. mexicana of Mexico and 
Central America, S. hippocrepis of Cuba, and S. meridionalis of Colombia, Venezuela, and 
Guiana; this was in 18615. In 1884 he treated all these birds with trinomials after 
the method of American authors; and again in 1886° he placed them all under 
Sturnella magna, using the other names as indicating subspecies, and in his remarks 
he says that so much individual variation occurs that it would be very difficult, if not 
impossible, in some cases, to refer specimens to their correct subspecies without pre- 
vious knowledge of their locality. In this we quite agree, but as geographical con- 
siderations alone cannot be used as a specific character we do not see our way to 
recognize any division. The differences after all are very trivial, and consist to a great 
extent in differences of size, a slight difference in the extent of the yellow on the throat, 
and differences in the width of the black pectoral band; all of these are subject to 
considerable variation, and the increase of material for comparison can hardly fail to 
BIOL. CENTR.-AMER., Aves, Vol. I., April 1887. 98 
