508 ORIGINAL ARTICLES. 



Having paid much attention to the birds of Southern Mexico, 

 Guatemala and the adjoining republics of Central America, I have 

 found it a general rule that this northern portion of the great 

 South-American (or Neotropical) region possesses specifically dis- 

 tinct representatives of all the more important groups which charac- 

 terize the Ornithology of Tropical South America. It not unfre- 

 quently happens that these northern outliers of the genus are the finest 

 in colouring and the most outre or exaggerated in form, of the whole 

 group. In illustration of this remark I may adduce the case of the 

 Guatemalan Cotinga (Cotinga amabilis) — certainly pre-eminent in 

 coloration even among this lovely brotherhood. The naked-throated 

 Umbrella-bird (Cephalopterus glahricollis) of Yeragua, the Three 

 wattled Fruit-eater (Chasmorhynchus tricaruiiculatus) of the same 

 country, and the celebrated Long-tailed Trogon or Quesal of the 

 mountains of Yera Paz (Trogon paradise us) are other instances of 

 the same kind, and the list might be still further extended without 

 much difficulty. When the Quadrumana of the trans-panamanic pro- 

 vince are properly worked out, I believe it will be found that each 

 of the leading genera of Tropical America possesses a representative 

 within the limits of this special Fauna. 



But first as regards the northern limit of the Quadrumana in the 

 New "World. This is given in the plate of Johnston's Physical 

 Atlas by a line across Honduras, which is supposed to mark the 

 northern limit of Myeetes seniculus. But I know of no authority for 

 the occurrence of this Mycetes in Honduras, and the true limit of the 

 family must be fixed, as I shall presently show, much further north. 



The well-known German Naturalist, Deppe, who travelled in 

 Mexico in 1824-7, writes in a letter dated from Xalapa, Feb. 18th, 

 1825 :— 



" In Alvarado* we heard that 15 or 18 leagues further south on 

 the St. Martin we should find Monkeys. On Christmas-day we set 

 out in a canoe with Indians to Hacatalpa, and here took horses 

 to go to the mountains eight leagues farther. Having arrived at 

 the appointed spot we were informed to our great sorrow that the 

 Monkeys had deserted this locality three weeks since for a spot 

 where fruit was more abundant. There were three species described 

 to me, (1) a large white one, 4 feet high ; (2) a smaller one, 2\ feet 

 high (apparently the same as that which I now send) ; and (3) a 

 small one quite black. I was told that they would return in the 

 beginning of February in large troops." 



Dr. "W. Peters, the Director of the Museum at Berlin, who has 

 most kindly supplied me with the above extract, adds, 



" Mr. Deppe, who is still alive and whom I questioned about the 

 specimen in our Museum writes to me, ' I bought the Ateles alive in 

 Alvarado. It was caught by a Mexican about twenty hours distant 

 from the city. Afterwards, on my journey from Caxaia to Alvarado, 

 I watched, in a forest near Yalle Beal, a great number of the same 



* Deppe remained in Alvarado during December, 1824, and January, 1825. 



