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ON A REMARKABLE NEW OLIGOMYODIAN GENUS AND 

 SPECIES FROM ECUADOR. 



By ERNST HARTERT. 



Sapayoa gen. nov. Pipridarum. 



Pfisxrris domrsfic/ magnitmline. Ko.stro lato, depresso, eiilmine carinato, apiee 

 adunco, viliri.ssis rictalibns fortibns. Narilm.s rotundatis. ('orporis phimis copiosis, 

 mollibn.', in capite .snmmo panlliim elongatis, itaijue pileo fere snbcristato. Cauda 

 aequali, paullum emarginata. ]{emige exteriore secnndariavum longitndine, quarta 

 longissima. Pedibns parvis, invalidis, metatarsis ocreatis, dimidio summo j)lnmatis. 

 Digitis metatarsi fere longitndine, basi s3-ndaotilis. 



Typus generis species nnica cognita : 



Sapayoa aenigma sp. nov. 



? ad. Olivaceo-viridis, fere unicolor, snbtns laetior, flavescentior. Remigibns 

 fuscis, pogoniis exteruis supra olivaceo-viridi, intcrnis pallide virescenti-luteo 

 marginatis. Rectricibus fuscis, supra olivaceo-viridi marginatis. Snbalaribus 

 tibiisqne olivaceo-viridibns. Long. tot. circa 150, al. 85, caud. (iO, metatars. l(i, dig. 

 med. cum nngiie 14, ball. 11, culm, a basi 17, rostri lat. ad basiu 11 mm. 



//"/>. In Ecnadoria occidentali septentrionali, ad flumen Sapayo dictum. 



This remarkable new genus, for which I propose the name Sapni/oa, is difficult 

 to place in the system. After a careful comparison, however, I have come to the 

 cimclusion, that it is best placed among the Pipridae, not far from the genus 

 Seototho7-us {Ilrteropelma, Cat. B. xiv. p. 318), and my friend Connt Berlejjsch, to 

 whom 1 sent the bird before describing it, is of the same opinion. In the uniform 

 coloration and general structure of plumage this bird agrees most with Scotof/ionis, 

 but the very weak and small feet remind one o^ Neopelma. The metatarsus may be 

 called ocreate, the scales being so fused as to show hardly any divisions. About 

 the upper half of the metatarsus is feathered, a very strange character among the 

 I'ipritlfic, though we find it among the Cotiiigidac in a somewhat difl'erent way in 

 PItoenicoci'icus. The toes are connected at their base, the outer and middle toe for 

 quite half their length. The hallux is large and free. The claws are strong, the 

 nnder surface of the toes is rough, being covered with separate small roundish 

 scutes, as in Scototlionis. This suggests most surely essentially arboreal habits. 

 Wings and tail much as in Scotothorus. In the wing the first functional primary 

 is of the length of the secondaries, the fourth is the longest, the third and fifth are 

 nearly equal. The longest secondaries are 14 mm. shorter than the longest jirimary 

 The tail may be called square, though the central pair is really 3 mm. shorter than 

 the lateral ones. 



Tlie bill is most extraordinary, differing from the bills of all known Pipridae 



