DENDEOCOLAPTIN^. WJ 



6. Sclerurus guatemalensis. 



Tinactor guatemalensis, ffartl. Rev. Zool. 1844, p. 370 

 fee erurus mexicanus ?, Lmcr. Ann. L. N. Y. vii. p. 465 (Panama) 

 toclerurus guatemalensis, Scl et Sa/v. Ibis. 1859, p. 118 ; ii'd P. Z 's 

 ^^'oP"/^^ (Panama); nd. Nomencl. p. 62; Scdl-. Ibis,' imi, 

 p. -io'J, ; Later. Ann. Lye. N. Y. viii. p. 4 (Panama). 



Above nearly uniform umber-brown, upper tail-coverts rather 

 darker; tail blackish : beneath similar ; throat-feathers white, with 

 blackish edgings ; breast-feathers with a pale rufous shaft-spot : 

 whole length 6-4 inches, wing 3-4, tail 3-4. Female similar. 



Hah. Guatemala, and Central America to Western Ecuador. 



This species is at once distinguishable bv its variegated chest I 

 have examined the typical specimen in the Bremen Museum. 



a" o^"^; Choctum Vera Paz (&/im). Salvin-Godman CoU. 



1a f oi*°T^ {MeLeannan). Salvin-Godman Coll. 



c. Ad. sk. Sta. Itita, Ecuador (Buckley). Salvin-Godman Coll. 



Subfamily V. DENDROCOLAPTINiE.* 



The Dendrocolaptime are at once recognizable amongst their 

 fellows of the same great group by their strong spiny tail, which is 

 used as an organ of locomotion iu the ascent of trees, as in the 

 Woodpeckers (Fiddle) and Creepers (CertJimla). With this feature 

 are usually correlated, as might have been expected, short tarsi and 

 large feet with sharp claws, but these characters vary in the diflerent 

 groups. 



The general plumage of these birds is nearly always of some shade 

 of brown, relieved only by lighter spots and 'striations of the same 

 colour, fulvous or white. Brilliant colours are absolutely unknown 

 m this group. In determining the species of Dendrocolaptiwr much 

 must be allowed for inchvidual variation, particularly as regards the 

 strength and shape of the spotting and the length of the bills. 

 These variations and the generally uniform style of colour render 

 the species of this subfamily more difficult to deal with satisfactorily 



* TLe following is a list of obscure species of this Subfamily : — 



(1) Dcndrocolaptes miniatus, Licht. Abh. Akad. Berl Phvs.-CI. 1818-19 



p. 202 (ex Azara). ' 



(2) B. ohsoletus, Lieht. op. cit. p. 203 (Mus. Berol. 



(3) D. ch solophus, Licht. ibid. 



(4) I), supcrciliostis, Licht. op. cit. p. 205 (ex Azara). 



(5) D. altirostris, Leotaud, Ois. Trinidad, p. 166. 



(6) Bendrocopm rubricaudatus, Vieill. Xouv. Diet. xxvi. p. 11.5 (ex Izara) 



(7) B. maculatus, Vieill. op. cit. p. 117 (Brazil). 



(8) B. pyi-rhophiiis, Vieill. op. cit. p. 118 (ex Azara). 



(9) B. griseieapdliis, Vieill. op. cit. p. 1 10 (ex Azara). 



(10) B. nifus, VieiU. ibid. (Brazil). 



(11) Bcndrocolaptes 7nelanoccps, Less. Eev. Zool. 1840, p. 209. 



(12) B. crassirostris, Such, Zool. Journ. ii. p. 115 (Brazil). 



(13) B.forfirosfris, Sucb, ibid. (Brazil). 



