iSSS.l Brri.kpsch, Df'scr/y>/io>/:< of Xe-v XcotroficaJ Bir<h. z}.c;c 



about my proposed Yucatan race f)f I. gnlaris^i\\\(\ he kindh' 

 replied : "There can be no doubt that your proposed separation 

 of the Yucatan bird as a subspecies is justifiable ; for all the 

 Yucatan specimens are alike in much smaller measurements, as 

 described in your letter." Prof. Ridgway informed me that the 

 National Museum's series consisted of the following specimei.s. 

 viz. : from Yucatan, 4 adults; Tehuantepec, 4 adults ; Guatemala, 

 2 adults ; Salvador, i adult. At the same time he most obiiginglv 

 sent me for inspection one very pale coloied specimen from 

 Yucatan, and a very intensely colored one from San Salvador, 

 the latter approaching my Yucatan specimens in its coloration. 



The results of my studies in this connection are that in Yucatan 

 occurs a dwarf race of /, o'tilar/s Wagl. difiering from the 

 tvpical bird of Mexico, which also inhabits Guatemala and San 

 Salvador, in its much inferior size, and perhaps in getting, v\ hen 

 fully adult, a much finer and rather splendid fiery orange tint of 

 tlie yellow plumage. 



Regarding the last named distinction it appears tluit /.^''?//rt'r/i 

 viicatanetisis differs in the same way from ivuegu/ar/'s as /. cuc2il- 

 latus ignejis Ridgw., from the same locality, does from 

 /. ciicullatus of the tableland of Mexico. It is true that 

 tlie inunature biid from Yucatan is of a pale orange yellow, as 

 is tlie rule with adults of true gularis. Tluis I believe the 

 Yucatan bird, sent me by Prof. Ridgway for examination, to be 

 in immature dress. It shows yellowish olive margins to tlie tips 

 of the black feathers of the upper back, which I regard to be a 

 sign of immaturity, not to be found in the adults of my collection. 

 At the same time it may be admitted that the San Salvador skin 

 belonging to U. S. National Museum shows somewhat of the 

 fiery orange color which is so remarkably shown by the adults 

 of the Yucatan race. Nevertheless this coloration in the Salva- 

 dor bird is of a less intense and splendid character. Professor 

 Cabanis also tells me that out of two specimens of Oaxaca, 

 Southern Mexico, belonging to the Berlin Musuem, one is in 

 yellow, the other in orange-red dress. 



Notwithstanding these facts, for the present I am inclined to 

 think that true ^2^/ar/j' never attains such a splendid and deep 

 tlery plumage as it is certainly the rule with the Yucatan bird. 

 Regarding the San Salvador bird. Prof. Ridgway suggested to me 

 that it niiglit perhaps constitute a third race, characterized by 



