110 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



5c. CENTURUS AURIFEONS HOFFMAXNI. 



Centarus hoffmannii, Cabax. J. f. 0. x, 1862, 322 (Costa Eica). — Lawr. Aun. Lye. N. Y. is 

 1868,131 (Siin Jose and Grecia, Costa Eica). — SCL. & Sal v. Nom. Neotr. 1873, 

 100 (Costa Eica). 



Ficus hoffmanni, Suxdev. Consp. Pic. 1836, 54. 



Centurns anrifrons var. hojfmanni, B. B. &, E. Hist. N. Am. B. ii, 1874, 554. 



Hah. — Costa Rica. 



Adult S : Frontlet, pale dull yellow ; forehead and anterior part of 

 sui)erciliary region, dull whitish ; crown crimson- scarlet ; nape saffron- 

 yellow, varying to orange, sometimes tinged with orange-red ; remain- 

 der of the head deep smoky gray (lighter anteriorly and underneath), 

 the lower parts similar, but darker; abdomen deep saffron-yellow; 

 tibiie, anal region, and crissum heavily barred with black, the bars on 

 the latter more V-shaped. Back, scapulars, and wing-coverts broadly 

 barred with black and white, the two colors in about equal proj)ortiou 

 on the dorsal region, the black in excess on the wings, the white bars 

 on the secondaries being only about half as wide as the interspaces ; 

 primaries black, the outer webs tipped with white and usually spotted 

 with the same near the base; upper tail-coverts and lower rump immac- 

 ulate white, usually faintly tinged with yellow ; tail black, the inner 

 webs of the intermedicc edged with white and deeply indented with broad 

 bars of the same, the outer webs with a narrow longitudinal stripe of 

 white ; lateral rectrices hoary drab on the under surface, margined ter- 

 minally with dull white, the outer web notched along the edge, near the 

 end, with the same, and the terminal portion of the inner web sometimes 

 with one or more indications of white bars. Adult ? : Similar to the 

 (?, but crown without any red, and yellow of the nape duller and (usu- 

 ally at least) without orange tinge. Bill black ; iris hazel (MS. note on 

 label of 2 ad.) ; feet dusky (olivaceous in life?). Wing, 4.60-4.75; tail, 

 2,40-2.90; culraen, .90-1.05; tarsus, .75-.80. 



This form presents a curious combination of the features of C. aurifrons 

 and C santacruzb with characteristics which are its own. The plumage 

 of the upper parts is exactly that of the former, exceiJt that the occiput 

 and sides of the Crown are of a decidedly more smoky hue, while the 

 inner webs of the middle tail-feathers are invariably largely marked 

 with white, as described above. The plumage of the lower parts, how- 

 ever, is even darker than in santacnizi, though the posterior i)ortions are 

 more coarsely barred, as in aurifrons. The peculiar features consist in 

 the small size, and constancy of the white markings on the middle tail- 

 feathers, which is only an occasional feature in santacruzi and apparently 

 never occurs in true aurifrons. 



