( 230 ) 



lepschi), 1 ? iram. from Bartica Grove; 1 ad. Great Falls ; 1 Camacabra Creek ; 

 4 Super naam ; 4 Ituribisce ; 8 <$ ? Roraima ; 1 ? ad. Carnacusa ; 1 c? vix ad. 

 R. Carimang. 



Specimens from different localities average as follows : 



Six males from the coast district 



(Bartica, etc.) .... Wing 60-63 ; tail 56-58 ; bill 15-16 mm. 



Two males from the mountains (Cari- 

 mang, Rorairna) .... Wing 61 ; tail 59, 62 ; bill 15, 16 mm. 



Six females from the coast district . Wing 57-59 ; tail 53-56 ; bill 15-16 mm. 



Six females from the mountains 



(Camacusa, Roraima) . . . Wing 55-57 ; tail 52-57 ; bill 15 mm. 



Observations. Messrs. Brabourne and Chubb, in the paper quoted above, 

 distinguish three races as occurring in British Guiana under the names of 

 T. coraya coraya (Roraima), T. c. berlepschi (Bartica Grove), and T. oyapocensis 

 ituribisciensis (Ituribisce district). Mr. F. V. McConnell very kindly forwarded 

 for my inspection his entire series of Wrens which had formed the basis of their 

 conclusions. This material, supplemented by the specimens in the Munich, Tring 

 and Berlepsch Collections, and including the types of T. ridgwayi, T. berlepschi, and 

 T. o. ituribisciensis I have carefully studied, with the result that I find there exists in 

 British Guiana but one form, which is entitled to the name T. c. griseigula (Lawr.). 

 Let us first consider the inhabitants of the lowland districts, which, according 

 to Brabourne and Chubb, are referable to two races, one with dull fulvous under- 

 parts (T. c. berlepschi), the other with greyish middle line ( T. o. ituribisciensis). 

 On comparing fifteen specimens I notice that three from Bartica Grove 

 (including the types of T. ridgwayi and T. berlepschi), and an adult male from 

 Supernaam are much the darkest, the under parts posterior to the white throat and 

 foreneck being nearly uniform bright tawny ochraceous. Then follow two skins 

 from the " Great Falls " and Camacabra Creek with a somewhat duller, more 

 brownish ochraceous belly, which in the last-named bird passes into a paler, more 

 brownish buff tinge along the middle line. Next come two males from Ituribisce 

 (one the type of T. o. ituribisciensis) in which the under parts are mainly buffy brown, 

 darkening to ochreous brown on the flanks. An adult bird from Supernaam is 

 closely similar, but the middle of the abdomen is rather more greyish brown and 

 the sides are decidedly darker. Finally, two males (adult and immature) from 

 Supernaam and Ituribisce are even more greyish in the middle, and, except for the 

 slightly darker sides, they are not distinguishable from average Cayenne specimens, 

 i.e. T. c. coraya. From the above, it will be seen that the variation is purely 

 individual and not connected with any particular geographic area. It should also 

 be borne in mind that the Ituribisce is in the same district as the Snpernaam, both 

 rivers draining their waters through the plains into St. James' Canal (mouth of 

 the Essequibo). The conditions for the development of a peculiar form are, therefore, 

 hardly given. 



Messrs. Brabourue and Chubb, furthermore, consider the birds from the moun- 

 tainous interior (Roraima) to be distinguishable by their lighter " chestnut " back 

 and brighter fulvous underparts. The majority of my skins from the mountains 

 are indeed of a clearer ochraceous beneath, but several are not different from the 

 type of T. ridgwayi (ex Bartica Grove), whereas a male from the Carimang River 

 (Roraima district), in the dull ochreous-brown belly, exactly matches some of the 



