82 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OP 



VFringilla catotol, Gmelin. S. N. i. 1786, 914. 

 fOhrysomitris nana, Bp. C. A. 1850, i. p. 516, fide Baird. 

 ?"Cocozton, Hernand. Thes. p. 52. Cap. 192." (Quoted by Wagler, 1. c.) 



[B. Var. columbianus Lafres.] 

 Chrysomitris columbianus, Lafresnaye, Rev. Zool. 1843, p. 292. (Central 



America".) Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, p. 423. 

 Astragalinus columbianus, Cabanis, Mus. Hein. 1851, p. 159. 

 Chrysomitris (Pseudoniitris) columbianus, Cass., Pr. A. N. S. Ph. 1865, p. 93. 

 Chrysomitris xanthogastra, Dubus, Bull. Acad. Belg. xxii. i. 1855, p. 150. 



[C. Var. arizoncc Coues.] 



Chrysomitris (Pseudomitris) mexicanus Var. arizonce, Coues, MSS. 



Synonymy. Swainson's description* is very brief, unsatisfactory, and inac- 

 curate. Although the tail is not two inches long, (varying from 1-50 to 1"75,) 

 nor has its three lateral tail feathers (wholly) white, yet the diagnosis may be 

 accepted as indicative of the bird now well known from all portions of Mexico 

 as Chrysomitris mexicanus. Wagler's fuller description is quite pertinent. Upon 

 the latter author's authority, I quote Fringilla melanoxantha of Lichtenstein. 

 It is probable that Bonaparte's Chrysomitris nana belongs here. I have exam- 

 ined Mr. Giraud's type of Fringilla texensis. It has not a white belly as stated, 

 but is absolutely identical with typical Mexican examples. 



The synonyms adduced under var. columbianus do not seem to require com- 

 ment. 



Description. (Ad. tf, spring, S. I. No. 4078, Parras, Mex.) Bill a little 

 elongated, subclinical, culmen slightly convex, gonys a little concave; bluish 

 lead color. (Sometimes yellowish at base of upper mandible.) Black of up- 

 per parts quite pure and unmixed with olive, except on the rump, where a 

 little olive and more white may be seen on parting the leathers. The black 

 extends on the lores, auriculars, sides of the neck, and to a less extent on sides 

 of breast ; on the cheeks, between eve and lower mandible, somewhat mixed 

 with yellow. The under eyelid is yellow, separated from the yellow of the throat 

 by some black. The basal white spot on the primaries, (exclusive of the two 

 first,) and the white margins of the outer edges of the secondaries are well de- 

 fined, but the white tips of the median coverts, which form so conspicuous a 

 bar in psaltria, are much narrower. The three exterior tail feathers are almost 

 wholly white on their inner webs to within from a fourth to a third of an inch 

 of their tips. Below the bird is wholly yellow. 



Numerous Mexican specimens hardly differ from the above, except in the 

 amount of white edging of the wings and coverts. This is so extremely va- 

 riable, that it cannot be a character of tbe slightest consequence. One (No. 

 4077, New Leon, Mex.) has some little olive mixed with the black of the back. 



Another series of skins, five in number, from Panama, Co.-ta Rica, etc., with- 

 out exception differ from the Mexican type as follows : The black on the side 

 ot the head descends much lower, in fact to the angle of the mouth, com- 

 pletely occupying the cheeks and auriculars, and the under eyelid shows no 

 trace of yellow. The under parts are of a much brighter yellow, rathtr 

 orange than lemon. Moreover, they average less white upon the wings and 

 tail. In some the white spaces only occupy two rectrices instead of three, only 

 extend to within half an inch of the tip, and are, in fact, rather small irregu- 

 lar blotches, than well defined large spaces. 



A third series, also from Central America, presents precisely the features last 

 detailed, but the white on the tail feathers is either entirely wanting, as in No. 

 1818, or reduced to a minimum as in No. 39791. This form constitutes La- 

 fresnaye's C. columbianus. 



"Glossy Mack, beneath yellow, base of quills and lateral tail feathers white. Total length 

 4i; bill 3-10; wings 24; tail 2; tarsi |." 



[March, 



