488 Mr. J. H. Gumey's Notes on 



does not entirely accord with tlie view expressed by Mr. 

 Sharpe as to the mode in which the change from the young 

 to the adult dress is accomplished, though at the same time 

 I think it does not preclude the possibility of some portion 

 of that change being effected in the manner suggested by 

 Mr. Sharpe: — ''August 22, 1876. The Urubitinga moulted 

 from the immature brown plumage into a slaty ash-coloured 

 dress in 1875. The bird has now nearly finished moulting, and 

 the feathers of the body are very nearly black ; the keeper, 

 as well as myself, considers that the change in colour is due 

 to change of f eathers.^^ From a conversation with the keeper 

 who has charge of this specimen, I learned that the newly 

 acquired feathers were in the first instance covered with a 

 dusty powder, which gave them an ashy slate-coloured hue 

 for a time, but which subsequently disappeared. 



The Urubitinga found in Cuba was erected into a distinct 

 species by Cabanis, who assigned to it the sj)ecific name of 

 gundlachi [vide Journ. fiir Orn. 1854, p. 80) ; this, however, 

 is treated by Mr. Sharpe as a synonym of U. anthracina ; 

 whether correctly or not I cannot say, as I have never seen a 

 Urubitinga from Cuba. U. gundlachi is said by its describer 

 to be of a dark chocolate-brown colour; and if this hue be 

 permanent, and not merely the remains of immaturity, it no 

 doubt indicates a distinct species; but another character 

 given, that of two more or less distinct white bands at the 

 base of the tail and above the central band, is not, I think, 

 to be relied on ; adult specimens of U. anthracina vary much 

 in this respect, some having two basal bands, some but one, 

 and others none. The Norwich Museum possesses specimens 

 with two such bands from New Granada, Guatemala, and 

 Southern Mexico ; and Messrs. Salvin and Godman have a 

 similar example from Veragua. The bird from St. Vincent, 

 now living in the Zoological Gardens, has but one such band, 

 in which it agrees with a Guatemalan specimen in the col- 

 lection of Messrs. Salvin and Godman; but the same collec- 

 tion contains two other Guatemalan skins, in which the basal 

 band is altogether absent. All these are either nearly or fully 

 adult individuals. 



