NOTES' ON GUATEMALAN BIRDS' — WETMO'RE 577 



TANAGRA ELEGANTISSIMA VINCENS (Hartcrt) 



Euphonia elegantissima vincens Hartert, Bull. Brit. Orii. Club, vol. 33, Dec. 23, 

 1913, p. 77 (San Jose, Costa Rica). 



On November 29 and 30 I collected a beautiful pair at 3,200 feet 

 elevation below Alotenango. The birds were found about mistletoe 

 clumps growing in the shade trees of a coffee finca, where my atten- 

 tion was drawn to them by the usual high-pitched, whistled note. 

 Both had the alimentary tract filled with seeds and pulp from mistle- 

 toe berries. 



I agree with van Rossem that vincens is readily distinguished by 

 the darker blue of the crown, and the brighter, clearer green of the 

 dorsal area and more yellowish shade of the lower surface in the 

 female. There is one male of vincens in the National IVIuseum taken 

 by Nelson and Goldman at Can job, Chiapas, May 3, 1904, so that 

 this race extends from extreme southern Mexico to Chiriqui. Pos- 

 sibly the difficulty that Griscom and Hellmayr have had in recog- 

 nizing it has come from the fact that Hartert in the original descrip- 

 tion considered that vincens ranged only in Costa Rica and south- 

 ward. 



I consider that elegantissima has two subspecies and that these two 

 are not geographic races of any of their relatives. 



Family FRINGILLIDAE 



SALTATOR ATRICEPS ATRICEPS (Lesson) 



Tanagra {Saltator) atriceps Lesson, Ceuturie zoologique, before May 1832, 

 p. 208, pi. 69 (Mexico). 

 This strong, robust species is so different in size from the smaller 

 forms of its group that my first encounter with it was a distinct 

 surprise. For days I heard from time to time harsh, explosive calls 

 coming from hidden perches among the leaves at the tops of trees, 

 but always the bird uttering them managed to slip away unseen, and 

 1 did not couple these notes with the present species, which I had seen 

 occasionally, until November 30 when I shot a pair at 3,200 feet 

 below Alotenango. They are alert, flying at any alarm. The plum- 

 age is harsh and firm and the bird is heavy in body. 



HEDYMELES LUDOVICIANA (Linnaeus): Rose-breasted Grosbeak 



Loxia ludoviciana Linnaeuus, Systema naturae, ed. 12, vol. 1, 17(56, p. 306 

 (Louisiana). 

 On October 29 I shot two in the tops of low trees at 6,500 feet on 

 Volcan de Acatenango above Duenas, and on October 30 and Novem- 

 ber 4 they were so common near Canderas that I had to examine all 

 (reetop birds with field glasses to avoid taking more. On the last 

 date a small flock was seen at 7,000 feet in thick brush. This seemed 



