( 375 ) 

 77. Phoethornis ruber ruber (Linn.) 



Troehiliis ruber Linnaeus, Syat. Nat, x. p. 121 (1768. — ex Edwards, Oruilh. i. p. 32, pi. 32, fig. sup. 



— Surinam). 

 Phaethornis rujigaster and P. pygmaeus auct. 

 Pygmoniis pygmaeus Layard, Ibis 1873. p. 388 (ParA). 



Six specimens, three marked as (J, two as ?, and one not sexed, 2, 15, 8, 9, 22, 

 28. xi. 0.5. Nos. 58, 77, 87, 95, 174, 224. " Iris black." 



Tiiese specimens are all immatnre, with the tail-feathers tipped or margined 

 with cinnamon-rnfons, only one showing the purple-black cross-band on the breast 

 characteristic of the adnlt plumage. In most of them the rectrices are uniformly 

 bronzy brown, as in sj)ecimens from Rio and Bahia ; but two examples (Nos. 58 and 

 174) have a slight purplish tinge just behind the rufescent tips, thereby approaching 

 P. ruber episcopus Gould of British Guiana and the Orinoco district. The latter 

 form is very closely allied, and single specimens are not always distinguishable. 



Berlepsch and Hartert {Noi\ Zool. ix. (1902) p. 82) replaced the name of 

 P. episcopus by that of ruber Linn., which is strictly referable to the bird of 

 Surinam. Four specimens from near Paramaribo, however, agree with the Brazilian 

 form (= pygmaeus Spix), as do also skins from Cayenne, of which I examined a 

 good series in the Museums of Tring, London and Paris. It is, therefore, 

 evident that the P. pygmaeus auct. ought to be called P. r. ruber, while the form 

 of British Guiana has to stand as P. r. episcopus Gould. 



78. Campylopterus obscurus obscurus Gould. 



Campylrqjtfrua obscurus Gould, P. Z. .S'. 1K4K. p. 13 (" River Amazon ") ; Sclater & .Salvin, P. Z. S. 

 1867. p. 584 (Pard) ; Layard, Ibis 1873. p. 388 (Pari). 



2 cJc? jr. and 5 ? ? : 4, 15, 21, 22, 24. xi. 05. Nos. 166, 168, 178, 181, 199, 

 262, 351. " Iris black." 



This series agrees with the type of C. obscurus (Brit. Mus.) and with the 

 specimens collected near Para by Wallace and Layard. The British Museum 

 possesses also an adult c? (with the shafts of the outer primaries much dilated) 

 obtained by Natterer, which, although having no locality on the label, doubtless 

 came from Para, as it formed part of Natterer's last consignment. Altogether, I 

 examined eighteen skins of this form, which is characterised by having the two 

 outermost tail-feathers on each side tipped with smoky-grey. 



In a large series from the Upper Amazons,* including the type of C. aeqiia- 

 torialis Gould (ex Quito), these patches are pure white or scarcely shaded with 

 greyish. The difference, though slight, being evidently constant, two distinct races 

 ought to be recognised : 



a. C. obscurus obscurus Gould, from Pant. 



b. C. obscurus aequatorialis Gould, ranging from Eastern Ecuador through 

 Eastern Peru to N.E. Bolivia. 



79. Plorisug^a mellivora (Linn.) 



Trijchi/us uiellivnrus Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. x. (1768) p. 121 [ex Edwards, Oruilh. i. pi. 3,5, fig. sup. — 



Surinam]. 

 Fh,risu;ia mellivora Sclater & Salvin P. Z. S. 18G7, p. 584 (Pari) ; Layard, Ibis 1873. p. 388 (Pari). 



A large series of both sexes and young birds, obtained in October, November 

 and December. 



* 4 (J (J ad., 255 I'ebas; 2 jj (J ad. East Eonador ; 1 J or J jr. from Raniya<;u, E. Ecuador; 

 4 skins from N.E. Peru (B.arHett coll.) ; 1 ^J ad., 1 J Mapiri, N.E. Bolivia (Buckley); 4 5 $ or ^ J jr. 

 from ,S. Augustin and Guanay, N.E. Bolivia (M. Stuart coll.— Mus. Tring). 



