Vol. XVIII, pp. 121-126 April 18, 1905 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



NOTES ON THE NAMES OF CERTAIN NORTH AMER- 

 ICAN BIRDS. 



BY E. W. NELSON. 



During u\x rt^cent studj" of the Mexican Inrds in the collec- 

 tiun (if the Biological Survey, some facts have come to light 

 whicli appear to necessitate changes in the nomenclature of 

 several species. 



I am indebted to Dr. Chas. W . Richmond of the National 

 Museum for calling my attention to the literature in some of the 

 cases mentioned l)elow, and to ^Nfr. J. H. Riley of the National 

 Museum for his courtesy in helping me with the comparisons of 

 the turkey buzzards. Acknowledgments are also due Mr. Wit- 

 mer Stone of the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, 

 and Mr. Outram Bangs of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 

 U)Y the loan of material. 



SuLA LEUCOciASTRA Boddaert. 



In the original description of Pi'licdnns .snla (Syst. Nat. ed. 

 12, I, p. 218, 1766) Linnseus characterizes it as less than half 

 the size of ha>ssana, with the l)ody white, the outer part of the 

 primaries and secondaries black, and the face and feet red. 



This description in no waj' fits the l)ird recognized by most 

 later authors under the name of Sala sula, which has the head, 

 neck and upperparts (including the tail) dark sooty brown ; 



19— Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. XVII, 1905. (121) 



