NOTES ON GUATEMALAN BIRDS' — WETMOiRE 563 



TURDUS RUFITORQUES Hartlaub 



Tnrdus (Merula) rnfitorques Hartlaub, Rev. Zool., 1844, p. 214 (Guatemala). 



I found this common species first at La Alameda near Chimalte- 

 nango on November 7, when I shot a beautiful, full-plumaged male. 

 At Sierra Santa Elena they were common and were seen regularh', 

 specimens being taken on November 17 and 19. They were seen in 

 open woodland, or at the edge of heavy forest, preferring most of all 

 small openings bordered by open-branched trees. In such situations 

 they ran about on the ground in search of food, or rested with jerking 

 wings and tail. At any alarm they dashed into heavy cover and imme- 

 diately were lost to sight. In appearance, movements, and habits they 

 are the exact counterpart of the familiar robin Turdus migi^atorius of 

 the north, and their scolding call notes, heard often from the woods at 

 dusk, were just enough different to enable me to note the distinction. 

 Occasionally at dusk I saw scattering flocks of 15 or 20 indi\'iduals 

 passing through the trees to a roost. On November 24 I observed 

 several small groups at Desconsuelo above 10,000 feet and shot a female. 



The bill, tarsi, and feet in adult males were honey yellow. 



TURDUS GRAY! UMBRINUS Griscom 



Turdus graiji umhrinus Geiscom, Amei-. Mus. Nov., No. 438, Dec. 15, 1930, p. 5 

 (Finca El Cipres, 2,300 feet, near Mazatenaugo, Guatemala). 



At Panajachel on November 15 one flushed in a dense coffee bush, 

 moving only to the other side, where it remained motionless, so that I 

 was able to locate it with difficulty. Men were working in this section 

 and the bird had learned apparently that it could pass unnoted by 

 remaining quiet. This species is known as sinsontle de agua. 



While Griscom has listed his specimens from Panajachel as Turdus 

 g. grayl, this individual has the darker markings of umbr'mus. 



TURDUS ASSIMILIS RUBICUNDUS (Dearborn) 



Flanesticus assimilis rubicundus Dearborn, Field Mus. Nat. Hist., orn. ser., 

 vol. 1, 1907, p. 137 (Patulul, Solola, Guatemala). 



On November 29 I shot a female in the shade trees of a coffee plan- 

 tation at 3,200 feet elevation near Las Lajas, below Alotenango. 

 Another was seen there the following day. 



The specimen agrees fully with the description of this subspecies. 



TURDUS PLEBEJUS DIFFERENS (Nelson) 



Merula pleleia differens Nelson, Froc. Biol. Soc. Washington, vol. 14, Sept. 25, 

 1901, p. 175 (Pinabete, Chiapas). 

 Axel Pira, Jr., presented me with a skin of this bird that he had 

 collected at Sierra Santa Elena in May 1936. I saw none alive 



