2 10 Mr. W. R. Ogilvic-Grant on American Galliiise. 



We have a series of birds from tlic area indicated, and 

 ]\Ir. Godman and I are both satisfied that Mr. Nelson's name 

 is a mere synonym of the subspecies C. texanus. 



2 a. Colinus godmani Nelson, Auk, xiv. p. 45 (1897) 

 [Jaltipan, Minatitlau, Coatzacoalcos, and shores of Lake 

 Catemaco, Vera Cruz, Mexico] ; xv. p. 120, pi. ii. (1898). 



This species has nothing to do with C. graysoni Lawr., with 

 which Mr. Nelson compares it; but is evidently nearly allied 

 to C. cubanensis. The male appears to differ from that 

 species chiefly in having the crown blackish, with brown and 

 greyish edgings to the feathers ; the sides, flanks, and belly 

 chestnut, heavily margined Avith black and devoid of white 

 snots; and the tertials spotted with white instead of bufl'. 



The figure is somewhat misleading, as it conveys the impres- 

 sion that the entire belly is black ; but we find from the 

 description that this is not the case. 



3. Oktyx PECTORALis (Cat. B. xxii. p. 421). 



Colinus graysoni nigripect us Nelson, Auk, xiv. p. 47 (1897) 

 [Plains of Puebla, Mexico]. 



Colinus minor Nelson, Auk, xviii. p. 47 (1901) [Plains of 

 Chiapas, near Palenque, and adjacent parts of Tabasco] . 



In the British Museum collection there are male examples 

 of this species with the feathers of the under parts either uni- 

 form chestnut or narrowly fringed with black. The latter 

 ])luraage apparently denotes the fully adult bird [(/. remarks 

 on G. salvini, infra]. 



In my opinion there can be no doubt that both these names 

 of Mr. Nelson's are synonyms of C. ped oralis. By almost 

 invariably contrasting his supposed new birds with the species 

 to which they are least nearly allied, " old friends " are made 

 to appear in the guise of very distinct species. We cannot 

 imagine that so excellent a field-naturalist as JNIr. Nelson 

 does this wilfully, and must therefore infer that such errors 

 are due to insufficient knowledge of the subject and want of 

 material. By referring to the various " Keys to the Species "" 

 given in the 'Catalogue of Birds,' xxii., Mr. Nelson would 

 have escaped such absurdities as rcdescribing Cyrtonyx sulhei 



