22 Mr. r. L. Sclatcr on the Germs Spermopliila. 



11. SpEKMOPHILA SUPEUCILIAIIIS. 



Spermophila superciliaris, Pelz. Orn. Bras. pp. 223, 330. 

 Supra brunnescenti-olivacea: pileo, loris et stria malari nigris : 

 superciliis et spatio inter stviam malarcm et genas albis. 

 Hab. Matto-dentro, Brazil {Natt.). 



III. Remarks on the geographical distribution of the Spermopbilse. 

 The genus Spermophila is one of the characteristic Fringilline 

 forms of the Neotropical Region, being entirely deficient in other 

 parts of the world. It may, however, perhaps, somewhat 

 transgress the limits of the Neotropical Region towards the north, 

 one species having been met with within the confines of the 

 great American Republic. Moreover it does not occupy quite 

 the whole of the Neotropical Region, being, as is the case with 

 many other peculiar Neotropical genera, unrepresented in the 

 Antillean and Patagonian subregions. In the other Neotropical 

 subregions it is distributed as follows. 



1. Isthmian Subregion. 

 In Mexico and Guatemala and down to Honduras only three 

 species of Spermophila are known to occur — namely, S. moreleti, 

 S. torqueola, and S. corvina. Further south S. aurita comes in, 

 and seems to be abundant in Costa Rica, Veragua, and Panama. 

 On the isthmus of Panama S. minuta, S. gutturalis, and S. 

 grisea likewise occur, coming up from the south so far. S. 

 grisea advances as far north as Chiriqui. 



2. Columbian Subregion. 



In Bogota collections, by which this subregion is best known, 

 S. minuta, S. luctuosa, and S. grisea seem to be of most 

 ordinary occurrence; but I have likewise seen skins of S. casta- 

 neiventris, S. gutturalis, and S. plumbea. 



In Western Ecuador and Peru S. ophthalmica (a very close re- 

 presentative of S. lineata), S. gutturalis, and S. telasco are the 

 only species I am acquainted with. But S. luctuosa is met with 

 all along the eastern slope of the great range, at least as far 

 south as the neighbourhood of Cuzco, where Mr. Whitely has 

 lately obtained specimens of it. 



