PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 117 



pale born-color, darker terminally. Culuien, .60; tarsus, 1.30; middle 

 toe, .88* 



Eemarks. — It is very difficult to express, by a mere description, the 

 points of difference in coloration between this new species and thegrayish 

 phase of Scojys hrasiUanns. Specimens of the latter, collected in Costa 

 Kica, by Mr. Zeledou, are hardly appreciably different at a casual glance. 

 Upon close comparison, however, it may readily be seen that the lower 

 parts of S. cooperi are much more densely vermiculated,t the legs much 

 more rufescent and more distinctly barred, the white variegation of the 

 outer scapulars far less conspicuous, and the light bars on the remiges 

 and rectrices narrower and more numerous. Compared with one of these 

 specimens of S. hrasiUamts, having the wing the same length (7.00 

 inches), it is found that the tail of IS. cooperi is much shorter, its length 

 being only 3.75 instead of 4.25; this shortness of the tail in the present 

 species causes the legs to appear proportionately longer, the claws reach- 

 ing considerably beyond the end of the tail, while in >S'. brasiUanus they 

 do not reach to within half an inch of the tip. This greater elongation 

 of the legs is not merely apparent, however, the tarsi being absolutely 

 longer and the toes both longer and stouter ; the claws in particular are 

 decidedly stronger than in IS. brasiUanus. 



It is not necessary, however, to make a minute comparison of 

 markings and proportions in order to distinguish between these two 

 species, the single character of the toes, being strongly bristled in 8. 

 cooperi and absolutely naked in 8. brasiUanus, being sufficient for the 

 purpose. 8. cooperi is, moreover, the only bristly-toed member of this 

 genus found south of Guatemala, so there is no need of confounding it 

 with any other species of the same group. 



I have named this species, at the request of Mr. Zeledon, the collector 

 of the type-specimens, after Mr. Juan Cooper, of Cartago, Costa Rica, 

 a particular friend of his, to whom he is much indebted for many inter- 

 esting contributions to his collections. 



* Being a very young bird, and the remiges and rectrices but partly develoj)ed, 

 measurements of the wing and tail would of course be of no value. 



tNot more so, however, than in some specimens typical of the var. (juatemalw, 

 Sharpe. 



