( 381 ) 

 08. Hypocnemis melanopogon Scl. 



~Bypocnemia melanopogon Sclater, P.Z.S. 18, r i7. p. 1.10 ("in Pcruvia orientali, Chamicurros" — 

 erroi'e ! the type is from Guiana, cf. Scl., Culal. Amerie. Birds, 18G2. p. 188). 



Nos. 1040, 1069, 1133. S $ imm., Hnmaytha, 3, 0, 21. viii. 00. "Iris grey, 

 feet plumbeous, bill black."— Wing 03—04 ; tail 30—37 ; bill 17 mm. 



Nos. 919, 020. ? ? imm., Hnmaytha, 14, 16. vii. 06. " Iris pale blue, feet and 

 bill blackish." — "Wing 61, 03; tail 30, 37 ; bill 17, 20 mm. 



No. 1408. c? fere ad., Borba, 27. xi. 06. " Iris greyish brown, feet plumbeous, 

 bill black."— Wing 60 ; tail 36 ; bill 20 mm. 



No. 1454. ¥ perad., Borba, 10. xii. 00. "Iris light bluish grey, feet plumbeous, 

 bill blackish grey."— Wing 04 ; tail 37 ; bill 17J mm. 



These specimens fully agree with our large series from Cayenne, British 

 Guiana, and the Orinoco district. There is no trace of a white interscapular 

 patch, and the tail-feathers are but narrowly margined with white at the tips, 

 this border being about \ to 1 mm. wide. An adult male and two females from 

 the island of Mexiana, in the delta of the Amazons, and the specimens obtained 

 by Natterer on the Rio Negro (near Poiares, Marabitanas, and at the junction of 

 the Rio Amajau) belong likewise to this form, being in every respect typical. 



In the Cat. Birds, xv. p. 200, an immature male (c) from Chamicuros 

 (Hauxwell coll., received from J. Gould) is registered as the type of II. melanopogon. 

 If this were correct, II. maculicauda Pelz. would become a synonym of II. melano- 

 pogon, since the specimens a — d of Sclater's list turn out to belong to the former 

 species, all having broad white tail-ends and a large concealed white interscapular 

 blotch ! A glance at the original description of //. melanopogon, however, shows 

 that Dr. Sclater, in the first place, describes a male with the throat black, while 

 the $ jnv. from Chamicuros is in the garb of the female — viz. under parts white 

 with olive-grey mottlings on the foreueck ! Furthermore, no mention is made of 

 the conspicuous white dorsal patch (characteristic of 77. maculicauda), and the 

 terms " Cauda nigra rectricibua omnibus anguste albo terminatis " apply also 

 mnch better to H. melanopogon auct. Although Mr. Sclater states : " I have two 

 specimens of this species in my own collection," he unfortunately does not say 

 where they come from ; but on turning to his Cat. of Amer. Birds, 1802. p. 188, wc 

 find the following entry : " a. Guiana : type of the species, as described I.e." This 

 very specimen is still in the British Museum (;' of Sclater's list, Cat. Birds xv. 

 p. 291), and bears on the back of its label a note from Dr. Sclater's hand, " No. 115], 

 a of Cat:' 



Now this skiu answers exactly to the original diagnosis of the male as given 

 I.e. p. 130, and has, indeed, the middle of the abdomen whitish (''ventre medio 

 albicante"), which is a sign of immaturity. It is thus evident that the specimen j 

 is the real type of II. melanopogon, and that the skin from Chamicuros, "c" (which, 

 as shown above, belongs to II. maculicauda) was erroneously attributed to the 

 same species by Sclater in P.Z.S. 1857. p. 130, and subsequently. The nomenclature 

 of II. melanopogon and II. maculicauda thus remains as it stood hitherto. Their 

 range is as follows : 



a. H. melanopogon Scl. 

 Type locality : Guiana. 

 Hab. Cayenne: Rio Appronague* (Cherrie coll. in Tring Museum), Oyapoc* 



* Specimens examined by me. 



