474 ICTERIDA. 
The middle of the back is orange, of the same tint as the head and rump, in J. auratus ; 
whereas in J. cucullatus this portion is black—a difference not easily recognized in the 
living birds at a distance. Nothing has been recorded of the habits of this species. 
o', Rostrum robustum. 
a. Dorsum medium omnino aut fere omnino nigrum. 
15. Icterus pectoralis. 
Psarocolius pectoralis, Wag]. Isis, 1829, p. 755°. 
Icterus pectoralis, Des Murs, Icon. Orn. t. 102; Scl. P. Z. S. 1857, p. 205°; Ibis, 1873, p. 373*; 
1883, p. 372°; Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xi. p. 885 °; Scl. & Salv. Ibis, 1859, p. 207; Cass. Pr. 
Ac. Phil. 1867, p. 48°; Lawr. Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus. no. 4, p. 23°; Frantz. J. f. Orn. 1869, 
p. 802"; Salv. Cat. Strickl. Coll. p. 264”. 
? 
Icterus pectoralis espinachi, Nutt. Pr. U. 8. Nat. Mus. v. p. 892”. 
Icterus guttulatus, Lafr. Mag. Zool. 1844, Ois. t. 52"; Cab. J. f. Orn. 1861, p. 9™. 
Aurantius ; loris, gutture et interscapulio nigerrimis ; alis nigris, speculo alari minuto et secundariis mediis extus 
late albis, tectricibus alarum minoribus et subalaribus flavis; pectore toto nigro guttato; cauda nigra ad 
basin alba, rectricibus tribus utrinque externis cinereo albo terminatis; rostro nigro, mandibule basi et 
pedibus plumbeis. Long. tota 9:0, ale 4:2, caude 4:3, rostri a rictu 1:0, tarsi 1°1. 
2 mari similis, sed minus nitida, interscapulio fusco variegato et maculis pectoralibus vix ullis. (Descr. maris 
et femine ex San Gerdnimo, Guatemala. Mus. nostr.) 
Hab. Muxtco 12 (Sallé3), Putla (Rébouch ®), Juchitan ®, Santa Efigenia °, Tonala ° (Sumi- 
chrast); GuaTEeMALa (Constancia 11), Vera Paz (Skinner”), Retalhuleu °, Escuintla, 
Savana Grande ®, San Geronimo ¢ (0. S.& F. D. G.); Satvapor !*, Acajutla (0. 8.) ; 
Nicaragua, Chontales (Belt +), San Juan de Nicaragua’; Costa Rica (Hoffmann 14), 
La Palma (Nutting 1). 
This Icterus is chiefly an inhabitant of the hot region of Western America, from 
South-western Mexico to Costa Rica, being abundant throughout what is called the 
Costa Grande of Guatemala; but it is not strictly confined to this district, for we met 
with it in some numbers near San Gerénimo in Vera Paz, where it associated with 
I. qularis and I. sclateri. The distinct pectoral spots render it a conspicuous species, 
and not easily confounded with any of its many allies. 
There seems to be some variation in the size of different specimens of this bird, and 
small examples from Western Costa Rica have been separated under the name of 
I. pectoralis espinachi. But we hesitate to allow size alone to be a sufficiently 
differential character; moreover it appears that the bird we have described from 
Guatemala only exceeds in the length of its wing the largest of Mr. Nutting’s speci- 
mens by 0°15 inch, a very insignificant difference. 
Like 7. gularis this species frequents the scattered trees of comparatively open country 
rather than the dense forest. The song of the male, though short, has the clear musical 
notes possessed by so many species of Levert. 
