1888.] PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 537 



NOTES ON COSTA RICAN BIRDS, WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF SEVEN 

 NEW SPECIES AND SUBSPECIES AND ONE NEW GENUS 



■ (n- 



by robert ridgway. 



With their accustomed liberality, the authorities of the National 

 Museum of Costa Rica have seut me for examination a large collection 

 of birds from that country, and given permission to describe any that 

 were new to science. The collection, while consisting chiefly of species 

 that are already known, includes several that are new, one of them being 

 a remarkable new genus of uncertain affinities, besides others which 

 are worthy of mention on aecount of their rarity. For the privilege of 

 describing these interesting novelties my thanks are specially due to 

 Senor Anastasio Alfaro, the accomplished director of the Costa Rica 

 National Museum, and to Senor Jose C. Zeledou, already well known 

 for his active work in developing the ornithology of that interesting 

 portion of Central America. 



Zeledonia, genus novum. 



Char. — Somewhat like Catharus, but wing still more rounded (pri- 

 maries very little longer than secondaries), first quill about four-fifths 

 as long as second, tail very short (much shorter than tarsus and middle 

 toe together), rictal bristles very weak, and loral feathers well developed 

 and closely appressed. Coloration (of type) : Dark olive-green above, 

 deep slate-gray beneath, the crown brownish orange, with a black stripe 

 along each side. 



This remarkable new genus is so peculiar in its characters that I am in 

 much doubt as to which family it belongs. The very short rounded wing 

 with long first primary, full and closely appressed loral feathers, and 

 soft texture of the plumage in general strongly suggest the genus 8cy- 

 talojnts, and I was at first inclined to refer it to the PteroptochMw, to 

 which Scytalopus belongs; the coloration of the head strongly suggests 

 that of Basileuterus coronatus, and the loose-webbed rectrices with 

 finely acuminate points, as well as the loosely-webbed remiges, slender 

 bill, and long-booted tarsi with sharp posterior edge remind one of Catha- 

 rus (/racilirostris, to which genus Mr. Alfaro, the collector, had referred 

 the bird. There are apparently only 10 rectrices, and 1 am able to count 

 only 18 remiges, the latter being the number possessed by the above- 

 mentioned Catharus* which, however, has 12 rectrices. The general 

 resemblance to the genus Xenicus, of New Zealaud, is very remarkable, 

 A', longipes being of nearly the same size and proportions, as the follow- 

 ing will show : 



C. melpomene, C. frantzii, C. drijas, ('. occidental'!*, and related species possess 19 



