PIAYA. 529 
saturatiore viridi; pedibus plumbeis. Long. tota circa 18-0, ale 5:6, caude rectr. med. 10°5, rectr. lat. 5°5, 
rostri a rictu 1:3, tarsi 1-4. (Descr. maris ex San Lorenzo, Canton de Cordova, Mexico. Mus. nostr.) 
© mari similis. 
Hab. Mexico (Deppe?, Wagler?, White 2°), Tamaulipas, Tampico, Valles (W. B. Richard- 
son), Misantla (Ff. D. G.), Jalapa (de Oca, Ferrari-Perez", F. D.G.), Cofre de 
Perote (M. Trujillo), Coatepec (Ferrari-Perez), Cordova (Sallé¥, Sumichrast **), 
San Lorenzo near Cordova (Ferrari-Perez), Orizaba (If. D. G., Ferrari-Perez), 
Atoyac, Teapa (Mrs. H. H. Smith), Tonala, Chihuitan, Barrio (Sumichrast °°), 
N. Yucatan, Peto, Izalam, Temax (G. I. Gaumer), Merida (Schott ??), Meco, 
Holbox I., Mugeres I. (G@. F. Gaumer®®), Ticul (Stone & Baker}?); Britis 
Honpuras, Western District (Blancaneaux); Guatemata (Constancia™ '8), Peten 
(Leyland "), Coban*!, Yzabal4!, Chisec, Cahabon, San Gerdnimo, Duehas, 
Retalhuleu (0. S. & F. D. G.); Satvapor, La Libertad (W. 8B. Richardson) ; 
Honpuras, Omoa (Leyland 1"), Truxillo!!, Segovia R' (Townsend), San Pedro 
(G. M. Whitely 28), Comayagua (G@. C. Taylor 1°); Nicaragua, Chontales (Belt *°), 
Leon, Chinandega (W. B. Richardson), San Juan del Sur *4, Sucuya* (WVutting), 
Escondido R. (Richmond), Blewfields (Wickham?"); Costa Rica (Hoffmann, 
v. Frantzius ®2), S. José (v. Frantzius*®, Carmiol*!, Boucard *, Zeledon *", 
Cherrie®8), Angostura (v. Frantzius?°, Carmiol**), V. de Irazu 36, La Palma #3 
(Nutting), Alajuela, Liberia, Cartago, Jimenez (Zeledon*’); Panama, David 
(Bridges*4, Hicks +4), Castillo, Calovevora (Arcé?°), Lion Hill (M*Leannan * *).— 
South America generally, from Colombia to Guiana, Brazil, and Argentina \*. 
Much difference of opinion exists respecting this Piaya, as to whether it is divisible 
into several local races, for which many names have been proposed, or whether all 
should be merged under one title. In the ‘Nomenclator Avium Neotropicalium’ the 
latter course was adopted, which has been followed by Capt. Shelley in the ‘ Catalogue 
of Birds in the British Museum.’ On the other hand, Mr. Allen (Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. 
Hist. v. p. 136) has recently revived the treatment of the authors of the ‘Museum 
Heineanum’ (iv. Heft 1, pp. 82 e¢ seq.), and makes six races of P. cayana, to each of 
which he assigns a subspecific name, his remarks being inspired by the examination 
of a series of specimens collected by Mr. Herbert Smith in the Brazilian province 
of Matto Grosso. That differences occur in specimens from various points of the 
wide area over which this bird extends is obvious, and they are to a certain extent 
localized. But in most cases they are not very pronounced, and we feel sure that the 
greater the amount of material examined and our knowledge of the distribution 
extended, it will prove, as has been already anticipated, that it will be hardly possible 
to define all the races of the southern continent that have been proposed. It remains, 
therefore, for us to examine the relationship of the two forms found within our limits, 
which we call P. cayana and P. mexicana. The typical forms of these two birds are 
distinct enough, and may be recognized at once—P. cayana being of a darker colour 
BIOL. CENTR.-AMER., Aves, Vol. IL, June 1896. 67 
