BANGS AND PENARD: NOTES OX AMERICAX BIRDS. 377 



Remarks. — Berlepscli (Proc. Intern, oin. congress, 1907, p. 478) 

 also has called attention to the fact that M. scnurufus did not belong 

 in Mviarchus. 



THE FORMS OF TYRAXNUS MELAXCHOLICUS MEILLOT. 



This wide-ranging species inhabits a vast area from the Lower Rio 

 Grande in Texas, south to Argentina, and throughout its range is 

 locally common. According to Chapman (^BuU. Amer. mus. nat. hist., 

 1917, 36, p. 478) it is in the main a bird of the tropical zone, but ap- 

 parently follows the trails and clearings up into the mountains, being 

 found even on the Bogota Savanna at an altitude of 8,750 feet. 



The species varies very little, especially within its South American 

 range. One of the distinguishing characters usually ascribed to birds 

 from northern South America, is the paler color of the back, but we 

 find this very unreliable. In freshly moulted birds from all parts of 

 the range of the species, the upper parts are olive greenish, while in 

 birds in worn, post-breeding plumage, the l^ack is often faded to a dull 

 gray color with practically no oli\'e tone. On the whole, however, 

 birds from southern South America, true T. m. melancliolicus, are a 

 trifle darker than those from northern South America. 



AVe have been confronted by the usual unreliability in regard to sex 

 determinations in species the males and females of which are similarly 

 colored; for if, as is generally supposed, the male of this species is 

 larger than the female, many of the specimens have been wrongly 

 sexed by collectors. After examining much material, we have decided 

 to ignore the sex marks on the labels altogether, although disposed to 

 regard the smaller specimens of each form as females. 



In comparing a ver}' large number of specimens from various parts 

 of Central and South America, we distinguish fi^•e forms, of which the 

 characters and geographical distribution are as follows : — 



1. TyRAXXUS MELAXCHOLICUS MELAXCHOLICrs \'i('in()t. 



Tyrannus vielancholicus Vieillot, Xouv. diet., 1819, 35. p. 84 (ParaguajO. 

 Type. — ? Mus. hist. nat. Paris. 



SxJBSPECiFic CHAR.\CTERs. — A large form. Chest-band wide and rather 

 dark, suffused more with gray than with yellow; head dark gray; throat gray, 

 not white. 



