194 Dr. E. A. Goeldi — Ornitlioloyical Results 



of the States Maranhao and Goyaz. From the Rio G raj aim 

 I have seen several living individuals, and among them one 

 almost entirely agreeing with the colour-phase of v. Pelzeln's 

 original description of Crax pinima. 



Thus there can remain absolutely no doubt that the name 

 Crax pinima, as based only upon female specimens, should 

 be cancelled. If asked to what species the " Mutum- pinima " 

 of the Para district must belong, I reply, to Crax fasciolata 

 Spix *, though Spix's figure (plate 52 a), taken from a female, 

 is certainly not at all fit to give a clear idea of the external 

 features of this species. 



It is therefore necessary to consider the modifications caused 

 by cancelling Crax pinima among the species of Cracidse 

 admitted by modern ornithologists. Opening vol. xxii. of the 

 ' Catalogue of Birds in the British Museum,' written by 

 Ogilvie-Grant, we see (p. 477) that, according to this author, 

 Crax incommoda Sclater ought to be cancelled too, as 

 synonymous with Crax pinima. And necessarily also the 

 numerous species which compose the synonymy of Crax 

 fascio/ata, according to the views of Grant, should share the 

 same fate, namely, Crax scluteri Gray, Crax discors Natterer f, 

 Crax azarcB Natterer, and Crax circinatus Licht. Also 

 Crax mikani Pelzeln seems to belong to this cycle of doubtful 

 species, evidently condemned to disappear in the immediate 

 future. 



Strict rectitude compels me to state that already in 1875- 

 1879 Dr. Sclater, in his monographic essay of the Curas- 

 sows living in the Zoological Society's Gardens, clearly gave 

 us to understand his doubts as regards the validity of the 

 species Crax pinima. He writes (up. cit. p. 281) : — "On 

 the whole, I am inclined to believe that Crax pinima is 

 founded on a female Crax sclattri. But 1 should be glad 



* Plate 52 a of Spix's work, ' Avium species nova} &c.,' Monachi, 1824, 

 called " Crax fasciolata," seems to represent a somewhat dark female 

 specimen. It may be noted that in 1875 Sclater identified this figure 

 quite rightly with Crax pinima of Pelzeln. 



f Established on a specimen in the Berlin Museum collected at Cameta 

 (P.ira) by the German Sieber, collector of Graf v. Hoffniannsegg, in the 

 beoinninc uf the last centurv. 



