from the Pilcomayo. 607 



spotted) . Total length 3-5 inches, culmen 0*42, wing 2-0, 

 tail 1-25, tarsus O'S; toes (without claws) — outer anterior 

 0-33, outer posterior 0-33, inner anterior 0*25, inner posterior 

 0*2. Type^ Rio Pilcomayo. Although this specimen has no 

 label, I have selected it as the type on account of its being 

 (apparently) more fully adult than the other male in the 

 collection. 



Adult female. Differs from the adult male in wanting the 

 red on the sincipital feathers, these being black, with rounded 

 spots of white, as upon the posterior part of the crown and 

 the occiput. Total length 3*3 inches, culmen 0-4, wing 2*0, 

 tail 1-25, tarsus 0*5. Rio Pilcomayo, 28.6.90. No. 125 

 on label. 



A male from the island opposite Empedrado, February 9th, 

 1890 (No. 6 on label), having the wing shorter, but with the 

 black barring below equally intense with the male described, 

 and the top of the head apparently that of a fully adult bird, 

 has, if anything, the back more regularly barred with smoky 

 or brownish white ; the quills and their coverts are abraded, 

 and the light margins are consequently not so well marked ; 

 the under wing-coverts are more fluffy and have dusky spots, 

 and the inner margins of the quills (below) are tinged with 

 buff. In some respects only this specimen seems to be 

 immature. 



It is not surprising that the Pilcomayo should possess a 

 species of Picumnus allied to both the Brazilian P. cirrhatus 

 and P. orbignyanus, which latter I take to be the bird ob- 

 tained by Mr. Durnford at Salta, and of which there are 

 three females in the British Museum. Below I append a 

 key, which may facilitate the recognition of the three species 

 of Picumnus under consideration : — 



A. With brown auricular spot; back olivescent brown . . cirrhatus. 



B. Without any brown auricular spot. 



a'. Back with rounded whitish spots ; underparts 

 with transverse, squaraate, and sagittate spots 

 of black orbignyanus. 



b'. Back barred with smoky or brownish white; 

 underparts entirely and clearly barred with 

 black jnlcotnni/ensis. 



