PEOCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 25 



OIV AMAZ11.IA YUCATAIVEN8IS (CABOT) AIVD A. CEBVIIVIVEIVTKIS, 



OOtJJLD. 



By ROBERT RIDOIVAY. 



In compiliug the synonymy of Amazilia cerviniventrls, in volume i of 

 these Proceedings (pp. 148, 149), I united this si)ecies with A. yucatanemis 

 (Cabot), on the strength of Mr. D. G. Elliot's opinion (see note on p. 

 149) that they were the same. The editors of " The Ibis," however, in that 

 journal for April, 1879, p. 208, dissent from this determination, and sug- 

 gest that "a comparison of the Texan specimens with Mexican exam- 

 ples of A. cerviiiiventns and this type [Cabot's type of yucatanensis] 

 would be satisfactory, as Mr. Gould has always asserted that A. yuca- 

 tanensis and A. cerviniventris are distinct species". Through Dr. Cabot's 

 kindness I have been able to make a direct comparison of his type of 

 yucatanensis and the Texan specimens, so called by me, and find that 

 they are indeed quite distinct species, the latter being A. cerviniventris 

 of Gould, and exactly like examples of that species Irom eastern Mexico. 



A. yucatanensis is much darker colored throughout than A. cervini- 

 ventris, the green above inclining decidedly to coppery bronze, while 

 the broad tips and margins to the rectrices are deep violet-dusky, in- 

 stead of greenish or bronzy, little, if any, tinged with violet. The most 

 important difference, however, consists in the coloration of the lower 

 I)arts, the green of the jugulum ending very abruptly or giving place 

 immediately to the deep cinnamon-rufous of the entire under surface, 

 excepting the femoral tufts, which are white, as in other species of the 

 genus. In A. cerviniventris, on the other hand, the green of the jugulum 

 invades bolh the breast and sides, in the form of a more or less dis- 

 tinct spotting (which, however, grows gradually fainter posteriorly), the 

 feathers of the breast and sides being light green bordered with pale 

 cinnamon. The cinnamon-color of the belly, etc., is also very much paler 

 than in A. yucatanensis^ in which the tint is even rather deeper than in 



A. cinnamomea. 



The following comparative diagnoses express more succinctly the dif- 

 ferential characters of the two species : 



A. YUCATANENSIS. — Above greenish bronze, changing to coppery; 

 ends and edges of rectrices dark violet-dusky; green of the jugu- 

 lum giving way immediately and very abruptly to the deep cin- 

 namon-rufous of the breast, sides, etc. 

 A. CERVINIVENTRIS. — Above metallic grass-green, varying to 

 bronze-green in certain lights; ends and edges of rectrices 

 greenish bronze, or dull bronze, rarely tinged with violet; green 

 of the jugulum invading the breast and sides, in the form of more 

 or less distinct spots, growing gradually fainter posteriorly, the 

 remainder of the under parts much paler cinnamon. 



