( 240 ) 



On going deeper into the question, I became convinced that it had no relation 

 whatever to Empidochanes^ being in every way a typical Knipolegus, and I arrived 

 at the final conclusion that K. pusillus and E. poecilocercus were merely male and 

 female of one and the same species. 



Four specimens of the former and two of the latter agree perfectly with each 

 other in proportions, shape of the wing, development of the rictal bristles, etc. 



All six examples have the three outer primaries narrowed, incised, and acumi- 

 nated, as described by Berlepsch and Hellmayr,* this peculiarity being equally well 

 pronounced in both sexes ; the nostrils are small circular openings ; there are 

 numerous long, rather soft rictal bristles. In coloration, the female (E. poecilo- 

 cercus) recalls that of K. cyanirostris (Vieill.), having the inner web of the rectrices 

 rufous, the upper tail-coverts cinnamon, and the chest flammulated with dusky. 

 The only point in which it differs from the male {K. pusillus) is the slightly 

 narrower bill, with more distinctly ridged (less rounded) cnlmen, and its blackish 

 (instead of plumbeous) colour. The same sexual difference, however, exists in the 

 allied species. 



For the sake of convenience I append the measurements of the specimens 

 examined by me, together with the synonymy, range and characters of the species, 

 which has to stand as : 



Knipolegus poecilocercus (Pelz.). 



Empidochanes poecilocercus Pelzeln, Zur Ornith. Bras. ii. p. 116, 181 (1868. Rio Amajad, Eio Negro 



District, N. Brazil ; descr. ? ) ; Berlepsch & Hellmayr, Journ. f. Orn. 53, 1905. p. 27 (crit.) ; 



Hellmayr, Nov. Zool. xiv. 1907. p. 12 (Itaitiiba, R. Tapajoz ; 1 ? ). 

 Cnipolegus unicolor (nee Kaup) Sclater & Salvin, P. Z. S. 1867. p. 577 (one example without exact 



locality, A. R. Wallace coll.). 

 Cnipolegus pusillus Sclater & Salvin, Nomencl. Av. Neotrop. p. 158 (1873. Lower Amazon, A. R. 



Wallace coll., descr. $ ad.) ; Sclater, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xiv. 1888, p. 47 ($ ad.) ; Berlepsch 



& Hartert. Nov. Zool. ix. 1902. p. 36 (Perico, Orinoco R., Venezuela) ; Snethlage, Jonrn. 



f. Orn. 56. 1908. p. 525 (Alcobaga, R. Tocantins ; 1 <$ ad.). 

 Knipolegus pusillus Hellmayr, Nov. Zool. xvii. 1910, p. 284 (Jamarysinho, Rio Machados, R. Madeira 



district ; 1 $ ad.). 



Hob. Amazonia, North Brazil : Rio Amajaii, upper R. Negro (Natterer) ; 

 Itaitiiba, R. Tapajoz (Hoffmanns) ; Jamarysinho, R. Machados (tributary of the 

 Madeira (Hoffmanns) ; Alcobaca, R. Tocantins (Snethlage). Central Venezuela : 

 Perico, upper Orinoco R. (Cherrie). 



$ ad. (Type of C. pusillus Scl. & Salv.). Above and below uniform black, 

 glossed with metallic blue, this gloss being much more pronounced on the pileum 

 and back than on the lower parts. Wing-coverts and remiges dull brownish black, 

 the lesser and median wing-coverts with narrow, glossy metallic blue edges ; tail 

 deep black. Axillaries and under wing-coverts dull blackish brown. Bill plum- 

 beous, base of lower mandible horny brown. Wing 5961 ; tail 50 \ 52 ; bill 

 \\\ 12| mm. 



? ad. (Type of Empidochanes poecilocercus Pelz.). Top of the head and back 

 light olivaceous brown; upper tail-coverts, in decided contrast clear rufescent 

 cinnamon ; median and greater wing-coverts dusky, broadly tippe with olivaceous 

 buff, forming two distinct bars across the wing ; lesser wing-coverts like the back ; 

 remiges dusky, the secondaries exteriorly edged with buff, especially along the apical 

 half; rectrices blackish brown, the middle pair very narrowly bordered with cinnamon 



* Journ. f. Ornith. 53, 11)05, p. 27. 



