RENDAHL, BIRDS FROM PANAMA, COSTA RICA AND NICARAGUA. 19 



violet. Head, throat and cbest are a little more slaty. In 

 the remaining two specimens, which bave the back more 

 greenish and the upper tail-coyerts more bliiisb, the black 

 colour is a very pronounced slaty one. Perhaps tbis differ- 

 ence is to be referred to different ages of the birds? In the 

 immature specimens from Honduras the mentioned colour is 

 slaty-black. 



The measurements of the specimens of this collection 

 are as follows: 



Specimen 



Win g 



Tail 



Tarsua 



Culmen 



Granada "V' 



I. de Vela 

 Ometepe 



21 i 



20,5 I 



20 1 



21 J 



In the following I have quoted as vvell these measure- 

 ments as those recorded by Bångs and Ridgway, to see 

 if there is to be found any distinct and reliable difference in 

 sizo between the northern and southern specimens: 



T. melanocephalus melanocephalns (36 c^J*): wing 146,5 — 

 130 (136,7); tail 165—133 (143,8); tarsus 15—13 (13,9); cul- 

 men 21,6—18 (20). 



T. melanocephalus illaetahilis (29 c^J): wing 154—132,5 

 (145,1 ); tail 158,5—134 (147,2); tarsus 15—13,5 (14,5); culmen 

 24—19,6 (21,3). 



A comparison between these measurements gives accord- 

 ing to my opinion no sufficient reason for a separation in 

 two subspecies, because, if in the northern form as well the 

 male can have the head slate-black, there remains only the 

 difference in size, that should be of a decisive value. 



The quoted measurements prove, however, that the 

 southern birds {T, m. illaetahilis) in their minimi-measure- 

 ments only are some few millimeter larger than the northern 

 ones (T. m. melanocephalus) resp. 



Considering the extensive width of variation of this 

 species, we can scarcely regard the obtained average values 



