330 BULLETIN 133, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



by Hartert ^* this bird presents a curious appearance for a species of 

 this group as th > entire dorsal surface from forehead to upper tail 

 coverts, including- the lesser wing coverts, is marked with triangular 

 spots of white. 



I am uncertain as to the validity of Suiriri suirlri albescens 



(Gould) ^'^ separated by Oberholser ^° on supposed grayer dorsal sur- 

 face and whiter wing bars. With a fair series I find these charac- 

 ters somewhat variable in birds from Paraguay and from points 

 farther south, so that I can not make a definite separation with the 

 material at hand. 



-Though these birds frequented forest or brush-grown areas, they 

 were conspicuous and easily seen, as they were usually encountered 

 among open branches where there was little concealment of twigs 

 or foliage. It was usual to find two or three together. The species 

 had several notes that served to advertise its presence, one that re- 

 sembled chee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee^ a rolling whinny, being most common. 

 The ordinary call note was a low chee chee^ and in the breeding sea- 

 son they uttered a musical song in a low tone. Their movements 

 were slow and rather methodical, so that at times they gave some 

 suggestion of vireos. 



SUIRIRI IMPROVISA Wetmore 



Suiriri improfisa Wetmore, Auk, 1924, p. 595. (Tapia, Province of Tucu- 

 man, Argentina.) 



The type and only specimen seen of this species was shot near 

 Tapia, Tucuman, on April 9, 1921, as it worked slowly through the 

 tops of trees in dry, open forest. In general appearance the bird 

 suggests Suiriri suiriri except that it has a longer, heavier bill, but 

 with this structural resemblance is combined a type of coloration re- 

 sembling that of Suhlegatus fasciatus. In a way improvisa is repre- 

 sentative of Suiri.ri affinis (Burmeister) (long considered an 

 Elaenia^ but placed in Suiriri by Berlepsch),^^ but is distinctly dif- 

 ferent in its darker color, distinct grayish band across the chest, and 

 the lack of yellowish at the bases of the rectrices. It is surprising to 

 discover so distinct species in a locality so well worked as Tapia. 



SUBLEGATUS FASCIATUS (Thunberg) 



Pipra fasciata Thunbe21g, Mem. Acad. Imp. Sci. St. Petersbourg, vol. 8, 

 1822, pp. 283, 285. (Brazil.) (Reference from Brabourne and Chubb.) 



This flycatcher was first recorded at Las Palmas, Chaco, where 

 specimens were collected July 13, 27, and 30, 1920. Others were 



18 Nov. Zool., vol. 16, December, 1909, p. 200. 



1" Pachyrhamphus albescens Gould, Zool. Voy. Heaglo, pt. 3. Birds, July, 1839, p. 50. 

 pi. 14. (Buenos Aires.) 



2» Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 25, 1902, p. 136. 

 ^iProc. Fourth Int. Ornith. Congr., 1907, p. 442. 



