Todd-Carriker : Birds of Santa Marta Region, Colombia. 429 



Cyclarhis gitjanensis canticus Hellmayr and von Seilern, Arch. f. Naturg., 

 LXXVIII, 1912, 50, in text ("Santa Marta"; ref. orig. descr. ; crit.). 



Cyclarhis canticus Brabourne and Chubb, Birds S. Am., I, 1912, 352 (ref. 

 orig. descr.; range). 



Seventeen specimens : Bonda, Santa Marta, Mamatoco, and Rio 

 Hacha. 



Cyclarliis flavipcctus was described by Sclater many years ago from 

 specimens from Trinidad, nortbern Venezuela, Santa Marta, and Bo- 

 gota. No particular type was designated at the time, but Dr. Gadow 

 fixed on the Trinidad skin as such in 1883. Dr. Allen, writing a few 

 years later, undertook to restrict the name flavipcctus to the Colombian 

 bird, describing that of Trinidad under a new name, trinitatis. This 

 course would have been perfectly legitimate had it not been for Dr. 

 Gadow's prior action in restricting the type, even though the species 

 was not formally subdivided, and attention was called to the matter 

 by Dr. Chapman {Bulletin American Museum of Natural History, 

 VI, 1894, 27), who, however, referred the Colombian bird to the Cen- 

 tral American form, subflavcscens. It remained for Mr. Bangs, there- 

 fore, to give the present bird a distinctive name, which he did in 1898. 

 Exception has been taken in some quarters to this separation, but a 

 study of the present fine series in connection with another from Trini- 

 dad shows that it can be maintained. C. f. canticus is a pale form as 

 compared with true flavipcctus ; the yellow of the throat and breast is 

 paler, less greenish in tone, and averages more restricted; the posterior 

 under parts are more decidedly buffy; the pileum is paler gray; and 

 the back and wings paler, duller green. The size is practically the 

 same. These differences, although subject, it is true, to considerable 

 variation in both series, seem sufficiently constant on the whole to 

 justify the recognition of two subspecies. The status of the Vene- 

 zuelan birds will he discussed in another connection, as well as that of 

 those from the interior of Colombia. 38 



This bird seems to be partial to the semi-arid and arid coastal plain 

 of the Tropical Zone, as indicated by all previous records as well as 

 by the writer's own experience. None were noted at Don Diego or 

 Fundacion, but two specimens were shot at Rio Hacha, and it has re- 

 cently been traced as far as Valencia, in the Rio Cesar Valley. It is 



38 Since the above was written Dr. Chapman (very properly, as we think) 

 has described the form from the interior of Colombia as a new race, Cyclarhis 

 flavipectus parvus. 



