i8o 1 Nelson, Ncvj Birds from Mexico and Guutemala. 6l 



Z^ Ammodramus savannarum obscurus, new subspecies. 



MiNATITLAN SpARROW. 



Type, No. 143801, U. S. Nat. Museum, Dept. Agric. coll., $ , Minatitlan, 

 Vera Cruz, April 21, 1896. Collected by E. W. Nelson and E. A. Goldman 

 (Orig. No. 3709). 



Distribution. — Grassy savannas of the hot lowlands of Vera Cruz, near 

 Minatitlan, and probably elsewhere in suitable situations along the tropical 

 Gulf coast belt to the south. 



Description of type. — The dorsal surface is almost wholly black or 

 blackish brown, including the top of the head and the upper tail-coverts. 

 This generally dark coloration is broken by a narrow, pale buffy inedian 

 stripe *on the head and by a small amount of ashy brown, fulvous and dark 

 chestnut edgings to the feathers of the neck, back and rump. The 

 feathers of the top and sides of the neck on birds of the eastern United 

 States are usually dull rufous and ashy, forming a distinctly lighter area 

 than the crown or back, but in the Minatitlan birds this area differs but 

 little in general shade from the color on the rest of the dorsal surface. 

 These neck feathers have black centres with a very slight edging of dark 

 rufous followed by dingy grayish. The scapulars, lower back, and rump 

 feathers are tipped with small spots of dark chestnut. The lower parts, 

 except abdomen, are dark, dingy buffy, lighter on the chin and throat, and 

 darker or more brownish on the tlanks ; the abdomen is dingy white. 

 The wings and tail are blackish brown edged with lighter shades of brown 

 and gray. The females from this locality, while averaging darker than 

 ordinary birds from the eastern United States, are scarcely distinguishable 

 when compared with verv dark specimens from that region. 



The specimens from the type locaUty are the only ones I have 

 seen of this form, but it undoubtedly occurs in suitable situations 

 both to the north and south of that place and probably have 

 nearly the same distribution as Agelains p. richmondi. 



While at Minatitlan the last of April, 1896, we found these 

 Sparrows in full song and preparing to nest on the open grassy 

 savannas, often of considerable extent, that are found scattered 

 over the plains of that district. They were rather common, with 

 habits and notes similar to those of their relative of the eastern 

 United States. Their size is also about the same. 



/J Junco fulvescens, new species. Chiapas Junco. 



Type, No. 143906, U. S. Nat. Museum, Dept. Agric. coll., $ , San Chris- 

 tobal, Chiapas, Mexico. Collected by E. W. Nelson and E. A. Goldman 

 (Orig. No. 3079). 



