1 24 Recent Literature. [jan. 



the entire North American continent north of Mexico, including also 

 Greenland, Lower California and numerous islands, the total recorded 

 number of forms is 1200. The proportion of Accidental Visitants (81) 

 and subspecies (385) is far higher than in the case of Costa Rica. Deduct- 

 ing these leaves 734 full species, only a few more than the number known 

 from Costa Rica. 



When it is considered that the whole of Costa Rica is not as large as 

 the peninsula of Florida, the wonderful richness and variety of its bird 

 life — undoubtedly one of the most remarkable bird faunas in the world — 

 will be appreciated. 



About 120 of these Costa Rica forms are winter visitors or transients 

 (several North American migratory species are represented by two sub- 

 species). Leaving these out of account, and also making allowance for 

 3 or 4 stragglers over the southern boundary, and an equal number of 

 doubtful species known from only a single specimen, we find a round 600 

 species constituting the resident avifauna of Costa Rica. 



Many genera of the smaller birds are remarkably represented. Thus 

 Trogon and Euphonia have each nine species, Tangara (Calliste) has seven 

 species and one subspecies, Thryophilus, seven, Catharus, Columba and 

 Geotrygon each have six, Basileuterus is represented by five species and 

 two subspecies, Saltator by five species and two subspecies, and Planesticus 

 by five species and one subspecies. 



Many of the "lower" groups on the other hand make a comparatively 

 poor showing; thus there are only four breeding species of Anseres. Many 

 genera represented by breeding forms in both the Nearctic region and 

 South America are here wanting or occur only as migrants. The astonish- 

 ing number of four families, 50 genera and 205 full species are not known 

 to range beyond the northern boundary of Costa Rica. 



A new genus Dicrorhynchus is proposed by Mr. Carriker for the curious 

 barbet, Tetragonops frantzii Sclater. It is distinguished structurally from 

 its only other near relative, Semnomis rhamphastinus, solely by a slight 

 difference in the form of the bill, differing otherwise only in coloration. 



The following new species and subspecies are named and described: 

 Columba flavirostris minima, C. nigrirostris brunneicauda, Chcemepelia 

 passerina neglecta, Selasphorus simoni (nearest S. ardens), Dendrocincla 

 anabatina saturata, Campylorhamphus pusillus borealis and Corapipo 

 altera albibarbis. 



This last subspecies, has lately been described by Dr. Hellmayr under 

 the name Corapipo leucorrhoa heteroleuca, this name antedating that given 

 by Mr. Carriker. 



The three current subspecies Attila citreopygus luteolus, Pachyrhamphus 

 polychropterus similis and Pachysilvia ochraceiceps pallidipectus are dis- 

 cussed and considered as not entitled to recognition. 



Several forms usually accorded specific rank, namely Urubitinga ridg- 

 ivayi, Amazona salvini, Ceophlams scapularis, Agyrtria decora, Selasphorus 

 torridus, Trogon underwoodi, and Euphonia gnatho, are reduced to sub- 



