180 Zoological Society : — 



2. Synallaxis Spixi, sp. nov. 



Parulus ruficeps, Spix, Av. Bras. i. pi. 86, p. 85 (<^). 

 Synallaxis rujicapilla^ Reich. Handb. d. Sp. Orii. p. 158. 



Supra olivaceo-brunnea, pileo et alis extus rvfis, cauda dorso con- 

 colore sed minus olivascente : capitis lateribus et corpore subtus 

 cinereis : gutturis pennis intus nigris, extus argent escenti' 

 albis : ventre medio albo : lateribus et crisso brunnescente 

 tinctis. 



Long, tota 6'5, alae 2*1, caudae 3*5. 



Hab. Brazil. 



These two Synallaxes, which appear to me to be very distinct 

 birds, have always hitherto been confounded together. Specimens 

 of S. Spixi are rather the most abundant in collections, and are 

 usually marked rujicapilla or ruficepsy names both originally applied 

 to the former species. 



The S. Spixi may be distinguished by its brown tail, nearly the 

 same colour as the back, not rufous like the head, as is the case in 

 S. rujicapilla; by having no traces of yellowish supercilia, the 

 whole sides of the head being uniform grey like the breast, and by 

 its smaller and shorter bill, and longer, narrower and more pointed 

 tail-feathers. The throat- feathers are black, finely edged with silvery 

 white, which gives an appearance of a black patch on the throat when 

 the plumage is slightly raised. In S. rujicapilla the throat and 

 breast are uniform cineraceous white, and there is more olive-brown 

 on the flanks than in the other species. 



Another bird, very closely allied to these two, is S. elegans, which 

 I have lately described, from Bogota. S. pallida, Max., is also very 

 similar to S. rujicapilla, but has conspicuous white supercilia, and 

 the under parts pale brown. S. albescens, Temminck, (which has 

 been also united to S. rujicapilla by Prince Bonaparte and other 

 writers) is likewise different, and more closely resembles S. Spixi, 

 from which, however, it is to be distinguished by having only the 

 back part of the head rufous. A sixth nearly allied species is the 

 Bolivian S. Azarce, d'Orb. 



3. Synallaxis caniceps, sp. nov. 



S. dorso, alis caudaque cinnamomeo-rujis : capite toto cervice- 



que grisescentibus, pileo albescentiore : subtus lactescenti-alba : 



rostro et pedibus pallidis : remigibus intus nigricantibus : rostro 



elongato, parum incurvo, Jlavicante : pedibus pallide brunneis. 



Long, tota 5*5, alae 2*3, caudae 2*1. 



Hab. Brazil. 



Mr. Eyton was obliging enough to send me his specimens of 

 Synallaxes for examination a short time since, and most liberally 

 offered to allow me to describe any I might think new. A single 

 example of the present species which was in the collection seems 

 different from any previously named. I have therefore taken advan- 

 tage of Mr. Eyton' s kindness to give characters to it under the 

 specific title of S. caniceps. There is no other member of the genus 



