iSSs.] Ridgway on Helminthophila leucobronchialis. 3S9 



Mr. Ridway concurs, and says "it differs from T. vinaceo-rufa 

 in much deeper general coloration, the very different color of the 

 crissum (rufous instead of purplish vinaceous), and much larger 

 size, especially the bill." 



T. ruficauda seems to he a rare species, as there is no speci- 

 men in the National Museum or in that of the American Museum 

 of Natural History, New York. It is described as being quite 

 dark above ("brunneo-ardesiaca"), with the hind neck plumbe- 

 ous ; below and on the neck rosy wine color ; a spot under the eye 

 and a line behind the eye, violet-black, bordered with white ; sides 

 of the neck golden-violet; wing-coverts " ardesiacis " ; quills 

 blackish, tail short, outer tail-feathers "fusco-ardesiacis," with a 

 black spot across the middle, the end broadly rufous. 



New York, September 15, 1885. 



HELMINTHOPHILA LEUCOBRONCHIALIS. 



BY ROBERT RIDGWAY. 



Without having any new evidence to present concerning this 

 perplexing bird in the way of additional specimens, I would like 

 to offer for consideration a hypothesis which it seems to me affords 

 a more plausible explanation of certain aspects of the case than 

 that which suggests hybridism between simply H. chrysoptera 

 and H. pinns as sufficient to account for the variable 'aberrant' 

 series which has been referred to U. leucobronchialis, together 

 with those which represent the so-called H. lawrcncei '. 



It has been stated that H. Icucobroiichialis and H. lawrencei 

 possess no important original characters. This is certainly true 

 of the latter, which is very obviously a hybrid of the above-named 

 species ; but it is not true of the former, which in its pure white 

 throat, in very striking contradistinction to the deep gray or black 

 throat of one and bright yellow throat of the other alleged parent, 

 certainly does possess one very important original character, which 

 it is impossible to conceive can be derived from the crossing of the 

 two species in question. 



