552 PEOCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEIU'M vol.89 



SAYORNIS NIGRICANS AQUATICA Sclater and Salvin 



Sayornis aquatica Solater and Salvin, Ibis, 1858, p. 119 (Duenas, Guatemala). 



On October 29 I watched a black phoebe about a water conduit at 

 the Finca San Sebastian, near Dueiias, and remarked that in appear- 

 ance, actions, and twitching tail it was an exact counterpart of the 

 form found in California. On November 2 I recorded half a dozen 

 about seeps of water in the barren Barranca Honda at 3.800 feet 

 elevation near Alotenango, where that great wash comes down across 

 the beds of volcanic ash at the eastern base of Volcan de Fuego. 

 These birds rested with twitching tails on stones and the top of the 

 earthen banks, calling occasionally, a faint tsip. 



Two females taken on November 2 have only a feather or two on 

 the under tail coverts tipped narrowly with white. They agree so 

 closely with birds from Costa Rica as to give full support to the 

 statements of van Rossem ^ that there is only one form of this phoebe 

 in Central America, which is to be known as /S. n. aquatica. 



EMPIDONAX MINIMUS (Balrd and Baiid) : Least Flycatcher 



Tyrannula minima W. M. and S. F. Baikd, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 

 1843, p. 284 (Carlisle, Pa.). 



The two specimens secured were collected at 3,200 feet elevation 

 below Alotenango on November 3 and 8, 



EMPIDONAX HAMMONDII (Xantus) 



Tyrannula hammondli Xantus, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, vol. 10, 

 1858, p. 117 (Fort Tejon, Calif.). 



This was the most common of the genus in the areas where I 

 worked, the birds being found regularly in thickets and open groves 

 up to 7,600 feet, occasionally going higher. They often flitted the 

 wings and jerked the tail and now and then gave soft calls. Speci- 

 mens were taken as follows: Canderas, October 30 and November 4; 

 Santa Maria de Jesus, October 31; Panajachel, November 11; and 

 Sierra Santa Elena at 9,500 feet, November 20. 



EMPIDONAX AFFINIS AFFINIS (Swainaon) 



Tyrammla affinis Swainson, Phil. Mag., new ser., vol. 1, 1827, p. 367 (maritime 

 parts of Mexico). 



The five taken were all obtained among pines at high altitudes. 

 At Sierra Santa Elena they were fairly common, specimens being 

 collected on November 19 and 21. At Desconsuelo on November 24 

 several were seen about openings in the forest at 10,200 feet, and one 



"0 Field Mus. Nat. Hist., zool. ser., vol. 23, 1938, pp. 347-348. 



