BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 473 



IBuarremon] capitali>i Sclatek and Salvin, Nom. Av. Neotr., 1873, 24. 



Buarremon capitalis BOVCAB.D, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1878, 55 (Volcan de Irazu, 

 Costa Rica). — Zeledon, Cat. Aves de Ccsta Rica, 1882, 8; An. Mus. Nac. Costa 

 Rica, i, 1887, 110 (Volcan de Irazu). — Salvin and Godman, Biol. Centr.- 

 Am., Aves, i, 1884, 322, pi. 23, tig. 1. 



Genus PLATYSPIZA Ridg\A^ay. 



Platyspiza Ridgway, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus.,xix, no. 1116, March 15, 1897, 545. 

 (Type, Ckimarhynchns rariegatus Sclater and Salvin, == C rmssirostris Gould.) 



Stoutly built, short-tailed semiterrestrial Fringillidiv with the tail less 

 than twice as long as tarsus, outstretched feet reaching to or beyond 

 tip of tail, culnien strongly convex, commissure strongly angulated 

 or deflexed basally, angle of mandibular tomium toothed, and basal 

 width of mandible decidedh' greater than length of gouys. 



Bill short, deep, and broad, with culmen strongly convex, but gonys 

 straight, the latter decidedly shorter than basal width of mandible; 

 maxillary tomium strongly angulated or deflexed basally; mandibular 

 tomium with its decided subbasal angle obviously toothed. Nostril 

 very small, circidar or oval, in anterior portion of exposed nasal 

 fossa?. Rictal bristles obsolete. Wing about three times as long as 

 tarsus, rounded (ninth primary equal to or longer than fourth), the 

 wing-tip short (less than length of maxilla from nostril). Tail short 

 (less than twice as long as tarsus), slightly rounded. Middle toe, 

 with claw, nearly as long as tarsus. 



Coloration. — Above nearly plain dull olivaceous, l>eneath dull whitish 

 streaked with dusky; adult males with head, neck, and chest ))lack. 



Although I have former!}^ kept the type (and only known species) 

 of this genus with Caiii(irhynrhu.'<. I now believe that In' its withdrawal 

 the latter becomes a much more natural group. There is really a very 

 great difference in the form, of the bill between P. crassirostris and 

 the true Cmnarhynchi, an approach to that of some of the species of 

 Geospiza being indicated; but the style of coloration agreeing strictly 

 with that of the typical CamarhyncM (which never have more than 

 the head, neck, and chest uniform black, while in some species there 

 is no black whatever), Platyspiza is undoubtedly, in my opinion, 

 more closeh^ related to Camarhynchus than to Geospiza} 



Range. — Peculiar to the Galapagos Archipelago. (Monotypic.) 



^I am compelled to disagree with Messrs. Rothschild and Hartert (Novitates 

 Zoologicie, vi, 1899, 165, 166) concerning these two genera, which seem to me to be 

 clearly distinct, each showing nearly the same extreme variations in the size and 

 relative length and thickness of the bill. 



