284 



mniotiltidj?:. 



Subsp. a. Dendrceca bryanti. 



Syh-icola vieilloti {nee Cas».), Finsch, Ahhandl. nat. Ver. Bremen, ii. 



p. 329 (1870). 

 Dendi'oeca vieilloti, pt., Sd. ^- Salv. Nmnsncl. Av. Neotr. p. 9 (1873) ; 



Salvin Sf Godm. Biol. Centr.-Amer., Aves, i. p. 125 (1880). 

 Dendrceca vieilloti, var. brvanti, Eidffiv. Amer. Nat. vii. p. 60(3 (1873) ; 

 Baird, Brewer, ^y Ridr/w. Hist. K Amer. B. i. p. 218 (1874) ; Coues, 

 B. Color. Vail. p. 250 (1878). 

 Dencb-ceca vieilloti {nee Cass.), Boucard, P. Z. S. 1883, p. 441. 

 Adult (British Honduras). Similar to D. vieilloti, but with the 

 chestnut on the throat not extending over the fore neck, and the 

 chestnut streaks on the breast and sides of the body much narrower. 

 Total length 4-8 inches, culmen 0-55, wing 2-6, tail 1-95, tarsus 0-8. 

 {Mus. Salvin and Godman.) 



Winter plumage. Wanting the rufous on the head and throat ; 

 the wing-coverts and quills edged with duU olive-yellow; lores 

 yellow, impinging on the forehead ; feathers over the 63-6, eyelid, sides 

 of face, and under surface of body bright yeUow, washed with olive 

 on the sides of the body and flanks. Totallength 4-5 inches, culmen 

 0-55, wing 2-45, tail 2, tarsus 0-8. {Mus. Salvin and Godman.) 



This seems to me a faii'ly distinct race ; but it is doubtful whether 

 it will not ultimately be found to merge gradually into true D. 

 vieilloti, as the specimens in the Salvin-and-Godman collection from 

 British Honduras and Costa Eica are more distinctly striped below 

 than those from Yucatan ; they preserve, however, the defined 

 margin of the chestnut throat *. 

 Ifab. From Mexico to Yucatan. 



a. c? imm. sk. Nicaragua, March 1 R. B. Sharpe, Esq. [P.]. 



(C. C. Nuttini/). 



Subsp. jS. Dendrceca granadensis. 

 Dendrceca vieilloti {nee Cass.), Sclater, Cat. Amer. B. p. 32 (1862). 

 Adult. General colour above duU olive-yeUow, a trifle clearer on 

 the rump and upper tail-coverts ; lesser wing-coverts like the back ; 

 median and greater scries as well as bastard-wing feathers blackish, 

 edged with olive-yellow, a little brighter towards the ends ; primary- 

 coverts blackish, fringed with olive ; quiUs blackish, edged with olive- 

 yellow, brighter on the secondaries ; centre tail-feathers dull olive- 

 brown, all the remainder yellow on the inner web, brown along the 

 outer web and across the end of the inner one, the yellow decreasing 

 and the brown increasing in extent towards the centre of the tail ; 

 crown of the head as far as the nape orange-chestnut, the hind neck 

 olive like the back ; lores and eyelid golden yellow ; sides of hinder 



* The present bird seems to me to afford a legitimate case for the employ- 

 ment of trinomial nomenclature, as tlie name Bendroeca vieilloti bryanti of 

 Mr. Eidgway indicates that it is a form of D. vieilloti, which it undoubtedly 

 is ; but supposing that a perfect gradation is found to exist, as will most 

 probably turn out to be the case, between D. hrynnfi and 1). vieilloti, one may 

 ask — What name should be bestowed on those specimens which illustrate the last 

 connecting links between the two forms ? They are neither true B. vieilloti 

 nor true B. bryanti ; and therefore the plan adopted by Messrs. Salvin and 

 Godman of uniting all the Central-American birds under the name of B. 

 vieilloti will probably prove to be the best solution of the question. 



