BIRDS 291 



606. GEOSPIZA PSITTACULA TOWNSENDI (Ridgway). 



Camarhynchus townsendiR.iDGVfA.\, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., xu, p. no, 1890. 

 Camarhynchus psittacula RIDGWAY, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., xix, p. 552, 1896. 

 Geospiza psittacula toivnsendi ROTHSCHILD AND HARTERT, Novit. Zool., vi, 

 p. 167, 1899. 



Range. Charles Island. 



We did not procure any specimens of this form. It was described 

 from Charles by Ridgway in 1890, but in 1896 included by him under 

 G. psittacula. In 1899 Rothschild and Hartert doubtfully based the 

 subspecies G. psittacula townsendi on four specimens from Charles. 



61. GEOSPIZA CRASSIROSTRIS (Gould). 



Camarhynchus crassirostris GOULD, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., p. 6, 1837 (Gala- 

 pagos Islands). RIDGWAY, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., xix, p. 551, 1896. 



Camarhynchus variegatus SLATER AND SALVIN, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. , pp. 

 323, 324, 1870. RIDGWAY, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., xix, p. 549, 1896. 



Geospiza crassirostris ROTHSCHILD AND HARTERT, Novit. Zool., vi, p. 166, 

 1899. 



Platyspiza crassirostris RIDGWAY, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., 50, Pt I, p. 474, 1901. 



Range. Charles, Chatham, Indefatigable, Jervis, James, Duncan, 

 Albemarle, Narboro, Abingdon and Bindloe. 



This is the most abundant and widely spread species of the subge- 

 nus Camarhynchus, and, as do the other species of the same group, 

 it inhabits the moister and more wooded regions of the Archipelago. 

 We found it common on the higher parts of Narboro, at Iguana Cove 

 on Albemarle and on James. It is also common at the eastern end of 

 south Albemarle. 



In size and proportions of the bill Geospiza crassirostris stands 

 apart from the other species of Camarhynchus, being much larger and 

 having a much thicker and wider bill, it having been made by Ridg- 

 way, on account of this last character, the type of a separate subge- 

 nus, Platyspiza. In coloration it resembles the smaller species, but 

 the males are more olivaceous and not so extensively blackish anteriorly 

 and the females are more streaked below. 



On the south side of Narboro, at an elevation of about two thousand 

 feet, this species was found nesting in April. A nest containing four 

 incubated eggs was taken April 5 in the branches of an acacia bush 

 three feet above the ground. 



This nest is ovate in shape, the lower end being the larger, covered 

 above, and has the entrance in one side above the middle. It is com- 

 posed of small, dry, flexible, tendril-like twigs of some vine, woven 

 all through which are mat-like masses of a yellowish (when dead) 

 lichen. The height of the nest is 150 millimeters, and the width at 



