﻿AUGUST 
  19, 
  1922 
  WETMORE 
  : 
  NEW 
  NEOTROPICAL 
  BIRDS 
  325 
  

  

  are 
  purel}- 
  those 
  of 
  depth 
  of 
  coloration. 
  Collectively 
  the 
  nanum 
  group 
  is 
  

   darker 
  and 
  somewhat 
  more 
  heavily 
  marked 
  than 
  the 
  hrasilianum 
  group, 
  

   while 
  the 
  two 
  are 
  complementary 
  in 
  range. 
  Examination 
  of 
  specimens 
  from 
  

   intermediate 
  localities 
  may 
  easily 
  demonstrate 
  intergradation. 
  

  

  So 
  far 
  as 
  I 
  can 
  determine 
  none 
  of 
  the 
  names 
  that 
  have 
  been 
  proposed 
  for 
  

   pigmy 
  owls 
  can 
  be 
  referred 
  to 
  the 
  subspecies 
  here 
  described 
  as 
  new. 
  Athene 
  

   leiicolaima 
  Bonaparte,^ 
  said 
  to 
  have 
  come 
  from 
  "Oceania," 
  is 
  based 
  on 
  figures 
  

   2 
  and 
  3 
  on 
  plate 
  4 
  of 
  the 
  atlas 
  of 
  Zoology 
  of 
  D'Urville's 
  Voyage 
  au 
  Pole 
  Sud. 
  

   In 
  Volume 
  3, 
  page 
  7)o, 
  of 
  this 
  work, 
  Hombron 
  and 
  Jacquinot 
  state 
  that 
  their 
  

   specimens 
  came 
  from 
  the 
  Straits 
  of 
  Magellan, 
  as 
  is 
  indicated 
  by 
  the 
  narrow- 
  

   ness 
  of 
  the 
  dark 
  bars 
  on 
  the 
  tail. 
  Bonaparte's 
  name 
  therefore 
  is 
  a 
  synonym 
  

   of 
  nanum. 
  The 
  status 
  of 
  other 
  names 
  involved 
  is 
  so 
  clear 
  that 
  discussion 
  

   of 
  them 
  is 
  unnecessary. 
  

  

  Chloroceryle 
  americana 
  croteta, 
  subsp. 
  nov. 
  

  

  Characters. 
  — 
  Similar 
  to 
  Chloroceryle 
  americana 
  americana 
  (Gmelin),^ 
  but 
  

   bill 
  broader 
  and 
  heavier. 
  

  

  Description. 
  — 
  Type, 
  U. 
  S. 
  Nat. 
  Mus., 
  Cat. 
  No. 
  75019, 
  adult 
  male, 
  from 
  

   the 
  Island 
  of 
  Tobago, 
  collected 
  by 
  F. 
  A. 
  Ober. 
  Hind 
  neck, 
  sides 
  of 
  head 
  and 
  

   back, 
  rump, 
  upper 
  tail-coverts, 
  wing 
  coverts 
  and 
  outer 
  webs 
  of 
  primaries 
  and 
  

   secondaries 
  dusky 
  yellowish 
  green 
  w^ith 
  a 
  distinct 
  sheen, 
  becoming 
  dusky 
  

   olive-green 
  on 
  the 
  crown 
  and 
  forehead; 
  a 
  half 
  collar 
  of 
  white 
  around 
  hind 
  

   neck 
  ; 
  a 
  few 
  white 
  feathers 
  on 
  anterior 
  portion 
  of 
  lower 
  eyelid, 
  and 
  a 
  few 
  minute 
  

   white 
  markings 
  above 
  the 
  anterior 
  end 
  of 
  eye 
  ; 
  secondaries 
  barred 
  with 
  white, 
  

   and 
  primaries 
  spotted 
  with 
  white 
  on 
  inner 
  webs; 
  scapulars 
  white 
  at 
  base; 
  

   rectrices 
  dusky 
  bluish 
  green 
  above, 
  black 
  below; 
  three 
  outer 
  rectrices 
  ex- 
  

   tensively 
  white 
  at 
  base, 
  the 
  white 
  extending 
  farther 
  out 
  on 
  inner 
  webs 
  than 
  

   on 
  outer, 
  and 
  continued 
  as 
  spots 
  to 
  tip 
  ; 
  fourth 
  rectrix 
  spotted 
  with 
  white 
  ; 
  

   throat, 
  submalar 
  region, 
  anterior 
  part 
  of 
  sides 
  of 
  neck, 
  extreme 
  lower 
  breast, 
  

   abdomen, 
  under 
  tail-coverts 
  and 
  under 
  wing 
  coverts 
  white 
  ; 
  lower 
  throat, 
  

   and 
  breast, 
  save 
  lower 
  portion, 
  between 
  Sanford's 
  brown 
  and 
  auburn; 
  a 
  

   line 
  from 
  mandibular 
  ramus 
  down 
  side 
  of 
  throat 
  dusky 
  yellowish 
  green; 
  

   sides, 
  flanks 
  and 
  sides 
  of 
  abdomen 
  spotted 
  heavily 
  with 
  dusky 
  yellowish 
  green 
  ; 
  

   a 
  few 
  spots 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  color 
  on 
  the 
  under 
  tail-coverts; 
  under 
  wing 
  coverts 
  

   marked 
  with 
  blackish 
  green. 
  Bill, 
  tarsus 
  and 
  toes 
  black 
  (from 
  dried 
  skin). 
  

  

  Measurements. 
  — 
  Males 
  (3 
  specimens) 
  wing 
  76.2-78.0 
  (76.8), 
  tail 
  51.0- 
  

   54.5 
  (53.0), 
  exposed 
  culmen 
  35.5-38.5 
  (37.1), 
  tarsus 
  8.0-8.5 
  (8.2) 
  mm. 
  Fe- 
  

   males 
  (2 
  specimens) 
  wing 
  76.7-77.5 
  (77.1), 
  tail 
  53.0-54.6 
  (53.8), 
  exposed 
  

   culmen 
  36.0-40.0 
  (38.0), 
  tarsus 
  8.5-9.0 
  (8.7)mm. 
  Type 
  (adult 
  male), 
  wing 
  

   76.2, 
  tail 
  53.5, 
  exposed 
  culmen 
  37.2, 
  tarsus 
  8.0 
  mm. 
  

  

  Range. 
  — 
  Islands 
  of 
  Tobago 
  and 
  Trinidad, 
  West 
  Indies; 
  mouth 
  of 
  Orinoco 
  

   River, 
  Venezuela 
  (?). 
  

  

  Remarks. 
  — 
  The 
  form 
  recognized 
  above 
  is 
  similar 
  in 
  size 
  and 
  coloration 
  

  

  to 
  the 
  typical 
  subspecies 
  C. 
  a. 
  americana 
  as 
  represented 
  by 
  material 
  from 
  

  

  British 
  Guiana, 
  Diamantina 
  (near 
  Santarem) 
  and 
  Ceara, 
  Brazil, 
  save 
  for 
  

  

  the 
  markedly 
  stronger 
  and 
  broader 
  bill. 
  C. 
  a. 
  cabanisi 
  is 
  larger 
  than 
  croteta, 
  

  

  * 
  Consp. 
  Gen. 
  Av. 
  1: 
  40. 
  1850. 
  

  

  ^ 
  Alcedo 
  americana 
  Gmelin. 
  Syst. 
  Nat. 
  1: 
  451. 
  1788. 
  (Cayenne.) 
  

  

  