178 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol.xxiv. 
8i. MICROCERCULUS PECTORALIS, new species. 
SCRUB WREN. 
When at La Giiaira on July 25, 1895, I .saw walking about in the 
holes and crannies under a nia.s.s of overhanging roots in the ravine 
east of the town, a curious-looking bird which I recorded in my diary 
at the time as l)eing like a chocolate-colored, tailless Carolina wren. I 
had only my insect net and could not secure it. Imagine my surprise 
when, on July 2, five years later, I saw under a heap of l)rush, within 
ten feet of the original spot, another specimen of the same ])ird. This 
one I secured. It crept about slowly among the roots and twigs, did 
not use its wings, and moved more like a mouse than a 1)ird. 
This individual does not agree with an}^ of the described species, 
although it appears to be related to M. squaimdatKS of Sclater and 
Salvin. It is, however, not nearly so white below, and the colors of 
the upper parts are darker, judging from the plate. ^ 
It may be described as follows: Type, female adult. No. 175251, 
U.S.N.M.; La Guaira, July 2, 1900; Wirt Robinson, collector's No. 
1451. Above Mars brown, uniform on back, rump, and upper tail- 
coverts, but feathers of head Avith slightly darker centers; tail and 
wing quills clove brown, some of the latter bordered with the color of 
the back. Wing-coverts like the back, some of the innermost greater 
coverts with minute russet spots. Throat white, the lower part finely 
and rather indistinctly barred with grayish brown; sides of head and 
foreneck drab, feathers of the latter part tipped with wood 1)rown; 
sides of breast, flanks, under tail-coverts, and abdomen nuuinny l)rown, 
more inclining to Prout's brown on the latter; the flanks and under 
tail-coverts with more or less indistinct blackish bars; center of the 
breast, Prout's brown with V-shaped and U-shaped grayish white 
markings; under wing-coverts wood brown. Bill and feet blackish 
in the dried skin, basal part of mandible paler. Wing, 57; tail, 20; 
tarsus, 23; culmen, 19 millimeters. 
Family SYLVIID.E. 
82. POLIOPTILA PLUMBICEPS Lawrence. 
LAWRENCE'S GNAT CATCHER. 
Conunon in the scrub of the dry coast lands. 
Family TURDID^. 
83. ? MERULA FUMIGATA Lichtenstein. 
SABIAN THRUSH. 
One young ]>ir(l, ol)tained at San Julian July 17, agrees moi'(^ nearly 
with M. fmnlxjata than with any other species. 
' Proc. Zool. Soc. Loml., lS7;i, pi. vi. 
