described Species 0/ Dendrocolaptidse. 351 



figure (Plate XI.). As lately pointed out by Mr. Ridgway, 

 Berlepschia has nothing to do with Picolaptes , as at first 

 supposed^ although the tail-feathers are slightly stiflFened, 

 but belongs to the subfamily Philydorinse, and may, perhaps, 

 be most conveniently placed, as he has suggested, near Pseu- 

 docolaptes. But Berlepschia differs from Pseiidocolaptes in 

 its longer, thinner, and more compressed bill, with the upper 

 mandible rather more incurved and the culmen more elevated. 

 Besides this, the wings are more pointed, the tarsi shorter, 

 and the feet much weaker. The rectrices are twelve in 

 number, much graduated, as in Pseudocolaptes, but much 

 more pointed at their ends. 



The coloration of this curious type is, as will be seen by 

 our figure, quite peculiar, although the ferruginous-red back 

 and tail at once betray its Dendrocolaptine affinities. A 

 curious point is that the barred under surface is carried 

 down completely over the crissum. 



Berlepschia is one of the discoveries of Mr. C, B. Riker, of 

 New York city, and was obtained by him along with other 

 birds, of which Mr. Ridgway has lately given us a list 

 (Pr. U.S. N. M. X. p. 516), at Diamantina, a plantation near 

 Santarem, on the Lower Amazons, in June and July 1887. 



I subjoin Mr. Ridgway's description of the species : — 



" Head and neck streaked with deep black and pure white, 

 the streaks narrowest on auriculars, the white ones narrower 

 on pileum and cervix, broader on chin and throat, where the 

 black is reduced to a narrow edging to the feathers; remaining 

 lower parts black, varied with white, the markings changing 

 gradually from an irregular rhomboid and guttate longitudinal 

 form on chest, to regular transverse bars on lower tail-coverts, 

 where the white bars are decidedly narrower than the black 

 ones; back, scapulars, wing-coverts, tertials, rump, upper 

 tail-coverts, and tail uniform bright rufous, the feathers of 

 back with slightly paler shafts ; secondaries with outer webs 

 partly or wholly rufous ; alula, primary-coverts, primaries, 

 and inner webs of secondaries plain dull black. Length 

 (skin) 8 inches, wing 4*10, tail 3"65, culmen (exposed) I '20, 

 bill from nostrils -78, tarsus •80.'" 



