1856.] . 263 



diata, dentibus cardinalibus parvis, acuminatis, duplicis ; lateralibus praelongis, 

 lamellatis rectisque ; margarita subpurpurea et iridescente. 

 Hab. Swift Creek, near Macon, Geo. Bishop Elliott. 



Unio Blandiands. Testa tuberculata, quadrata, inflata, subinoequilaterali, 

 postice truncata et emarginata, ad basim emarginata, in medio sulcata ; valvu- 

 lis percrassis ; natibus prominentibus, incurvis, ad apices rugoso-imdulatis ; 

 epidermide tenebroso-castanea; dentibus cardinalibus crassissimis, crenulatis, 

 duplicis; lateralibus brevibus, percrassis rectisque; margarita argentea et iri- 

 desceute. 



Hab. Othcalooga Creek, Gordon Co., Geo. Bishop Elliott. 



Characters of an apparently undescribed bird belonging to the genus Campylorhyn- 

 CHUS, of Spix, with remarks upon other species of the same group. 



By Philip Lutley Sclater, M. A. 



Campylorhynchus hdmilis. 



Supra rufescenti-griseus albo et nigro mixtus ; dorsi et scapularium pennis 

 medialiter albis inde nigris hoc colore rufescenti-griseo undique limbatis : 

 nucha ci''m cervice postica et linea postoculari rufis; capitis aiitici pennis 

 nigris rufo terminatis : alls caudaque nigris supra albido regulariter transfas- 

 ciatis, subtus autem fere unicoloribus, rectricibus omnibus albo late terminatis : 

 linea lata et elongata superciliari et corpore subtus lactescenti-albis ; crisso 

 nigro regulariter transfasciato : stria parva guttural! utrinque nigra : rostro 

 plumbeo: pedibus brunneis: long, tota 5.5, alee 2.5, caudas 2.2, rostri a rictu 

 .75 poll. angl. 



Hab. in Mexico Boreali prope Mazatlan (Bell). 



This bird nearly resembles the Campylorhynchus capistratus, of Southern 

 Mexico and Central America, figured by Des Murs in his Iconographia Ornitho- 

 logique (pi. 63), but may be at once distinguished by its diminutive size and 

 the rufous head and post-ocular stripe, these parts being black in the other 

 species. There are three specimens of it in the Academy's collection. One of 

 these was obtained by Mr. Bell, near Mazatlan, a second is marked " California, 

 Dr. GambcVs collection" and the third is one of the birds procured during the 

 voyage of the Venus, but has no locality afBxed. The Academy's collection, 

 likewise, contains six examples, which I consider referable to Camp, capistratus. 

 Four of these present the usual normal appearance of that bird, but the remain- 

 ing two are considerably inferior in size, and but slightly exceed the present 

 species in dimensions. One of these latter birds is also much spotted and 

 blotched on the lower surface, and seems to be in that state of plumage in 

 which it "^as characterized by Lesson as Picolaptes rufinucha. But as the black 

 head is persistent in all these examples, even in such as are in manifestly im- 

 mature plumage, I am induced to believe that the present bird with its rufous 

 head and size, still more diminutive than in the smallest examples of C. 

 capistratus, is really to be regarded as a distinct species. 



I think it very probable that this is the Campylorhynchus described, but not 

 named, hy Prince Bonaparte, in his Notes upon ^Delattre's collections, (p. 43.) 



The genus Campylorhynchus was established by Spix in the first volume of 

 his Birds of Brazil. In the Magazin de Zoologie in 1835, M. de Lafresnaye, pro- 

 posed to use Lesson's term Picolaptes, for the same group. This is not proper, 

 as M. de Lafresnaye has himself subsequently acknowledged, because, in the 

 first place, Spix's name has the priority ; and secondly. Lesson's term was applied 

 by him originally to a particular genus belonging to the different subfamily 

 (Dendrocolapiince) for which it should be retained, although the same author 

 subsequently described several typical members of the group as being 

 Picolaj)ta. Many species of this genus present very great similarity in plumage, 

 and from this fact and from their being considerable variation in the size and 

 coloring of individuals, in some of the species, there is often much difficulty 

 in determining them satisfactorily. 



