PICOLAPTES. 187 
P. Z. S. 1878, p. 60"; Nutting, Pr. U.S. Nat. Mus. v. p. 397"; Ridgw. Pr. U.S. Nat. 
Mus. x. p. 590”; Scl. Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xv. p. 153°. 
Dendrornis tenuirostris, Lawr. Aun. Lye. N. Y. vii. p. 292". 
P. affint similis, sed capitis et dorsi antici striis multo magis distinctis, illis magis elongatis et utrinque nigro 
marginatis: subtus striis paulo minus obviis angustioribus. (Descr. maris ex Playa Vicente, Mexico. 
Mus. nostr.). 
Hab. Mexico, Orizaba (Sallé!), San Lorenzo near Cordova, Orizaba and Alvarado (Ff. 
Ferrari-Perez), Playa Vicente (Trujillo), Rincon in Guerrero and Teapa in Tabasco 
(Mrs. H. H. Smith); British Honpuras, Belize and Cayo on the Belize river 
(Blancaneaux); GUATEMALA, Pine-ridge of Poctum, Chisec, Volcan de Agua, Volcan 
de Fuego, El Baul §, near Santa Lucia Cosamalguapa, Retalhuleu(0.S. & FD. G.1®) ; 
Sa.tvapor, Volcan de San Miguel (W. B. Richardson) ; Honpuras, Puerto Cabello 
(G. M. Whitely 2), Segovia River (Townsend ©); Nicaragua, Chinandega (W. B. 
Richardson) ; Costa Rica, Navarro (Boucard '°), La Palma (Nutting +), Bebedero 
Nicoya (Arcé*®); Panama, Bugaba, Mina de Chorcha (Arcé 1°). 
This species, at one time attributed to P. lineaticeps, Lafr.1, at another confused 
with P. affinis °, was ultimately described by Prof. Cabanis under its present title from 
Costa Rica specimens ’. 
Its range extends over the lowlands of our country from the States of Vera Cruz and 
Guerrero in the north to the Colombian State of Panama, specimens from the various 
points of this wide area showing no appreciable differences. 
P. compressus is essentially a bird of the lowland forests, its range in altitude probably 
not passing a height of about 2000 feet. In the uplands of the countries where it is 
found, as we have already remarked, P. affinis takes its place, there being no relation- 
ship or signs of transition between the two, though they have been not unfrequently 
confounded. From Sumichrast’s remarks as to the range of the bird of Vera Cruz he 
calls P. affinis, we have little doubt that even he failed to distinguish them °. 
4. Picolaptes gracilis. 
Picolaptes gracilis, Ridgw. Pr. U.S. Nat. Mus. xi. p. 542°; Scl. Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xv. p. 154”. 
“ Pileum, hind neck, back, scapulars, and wing-coverts light sepia-brown or bistre, but this broken, except. on 
lower back, scapulars, and wing-coverts, with broad guttate mesial streaks of pale buff, bordered with 
blackish, the latter almost forming the ground-colour on.top of the head. Tertials, greater part of 
secondaries and primaries (except basally, where more olivaceous), rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail 
plain chestnut or hazel, the terminal portion of inner webs of primaries dusky. Sides of head and neck 
pale buffy, streaked with brownish black or dusky brown; chin plain pale buffy; throat similar, but 
feathers narrowly bordered with dusky, producing a squamate appearance. Ground-colour of other 
underparts hair-brown, but this relieved by broad mesial streaks of buff, each margined laterally by a 
narrower but very distinct blackish streak; these markings, especially the blackish streaks, becoming 
nearly obsolete on belly, flanks, and under tail-coverts. Bill blackish, with basal half of lower mandible 
whitish ; legs and feet dusky ; ‘ iris black.’ 
“Length (skin), 7-10; wing, 3:55; tail, 3°60; the lateral feathers 1:05 shorter; exposed culmen, -81: 
tarsus, °85.” 
24* 
