﻿566 
  On 
  the 
  Validity 
  of 
  Chrysotis 
  canifrons, 
  

  

  L. 
  — 
  On 
  the 
  Validity 
  0/ 
  Chrysotis 
  canifrons. 
  

   By 
  Geo. 
  N. 
  Lawrence. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  E. 
  Hartert, 
  in 
  his 
  list 
  of 
  birds 
  from 
  the 
  island 
  of 
  

   Aruba 
  (above, 
  p. 
  303), 
  speaking 
  o^ 
  Chrysotis 
  ochroptera, 
  says: 
  — 
  

   '^ 
  There 
  can 
  be 
  no 
  doubt 
  that 
  Chrysotis 
  canifrons 
  of 
  Lawrence 
  

   was 
  described 
  from 
  an 
  example 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  with 
  a 
  dirty 
  

   forehead, 
  such 
  as 
  I 
  have 
  seen 
  in 
  several 
  cases. 
  Among 
  my 
  

   specimens 
  of 
  Chrysotis 
  rothschildi 
  from 
  Bonaire 
  are 
  several 
  

   that 
  show 
  a 
  somewhat 
  ashy 
  colour 
  on 
  the 
  forehead.'^ 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Hartert 
  procured 
  three 
  adult 
  males 
  of 
  C. 
  ochroptera. 
  

   His 
  description 
  of 
  them 
  is 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  "They 
  are 
  very 
  bright-coloured, 
  forehead 
  and 
  lores 
  white 
  

   with 
  a 
  faint 
  ashy 
  hue, 
  the 
  greater 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  the 
  head, 
  

   and 
  in 
  all 
  three 
  specimens 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  feathers 
  on 
  the 
  neck 
  

   also, 
  rich 
  yellow 
  with 
  rosy-orange 
  bases 
  ; 
  the 
  entire 
  sides 
  of 
  

   the 
  head 
  and 
  chin 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  colour, 
  corresponding 
  with 
  

   Brisson^s 
  description 
  and 
  Levaillant^s 
  very 
  good 
  figure.^' 
  

  

  In 
  deciding 
  that 
  C. 
  canifrons 
  is 
  merely 
  C. 
  ochroptera 
  with 
  

   a 
  dirty 
  forehead, 
  Mr. 
  Hartert 
  speaks 
  only 
  of 
  the 
  forehead 
  of 
  

   my 
  species, 
  and 
  strangely 
  ignores 
  any 
  further 
  comparison 
  

   with 
  C. 
  ochroptera. 
  If, 
  instead 
  of 
  simply 
  making 
  this 
  asser- 
  

   tion, 
  he 
  had 
  compared 
  my 
  description 
  of 
  C. 
  canifrons 
  with 
  

   C. 
  ochroptera, 
  he 
  would 
  have 
  found 
  cause 
  for 
  doubt, 
  and 
  

   would 
  have 
  seen 
  that 
  they 
  differ 
  in 
  nearly 
  all 
  particulars 
  of 
  

   plumage, 
  although 
  alike 
  in 
  the 
  green 
  colour 
  of 
  their 
  bodies. 
  In 
  

   C. 
  canifrons 
  the 
  chin 
  and 
  upper 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  throat 
  are 
  greyish 
  

   ash, 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  head 
  dull 
  yellow. 
  These 
  parts 
  in 
  C. 
  

   ochroptera 
  are 
  ''rich 
  yellow 
  with 
  rosy-orange 
  bases. 
  ^' 
  The 
  

   bend 
  of 
  the 
  wing 
  in 
  C. 
  canifrons 
  is 
  yellow, 
  with 
  scarlet 
  next 
  

   the 
  body 
  ; 
  in 
  C. 
  ochroptera 
  " 
  the 
  whole 
  of 
  the 
  bend 
  of 
  the 
  

   wing 
  is 
  yellow, 
  and 
  only 
  a 
  few 
  scanty 
  red 
  feathers 
  are 
  some- 
  

   times 
  to 
  be 
  seen 
  next 
  the 
  body.'^ 
  The 
  primaries 
  in 
  C. 
  cani- 
  

   frons 
  Sire 
  dark 
  blue, 
  those 
  of 
  C. 
  ochr'optera 
  being 
  black. 
  

   Mr. 
  Hartert, 
  in 
  his 
  description 
  of 
  C. 
  ochroptera, 
  does 
  not 
  

   mention 
  the 
  primaries, 
  but 
  they 
  are 
  black 
  in 
  his 
  figure 
  of 
  

   the 
  species, 
  and 
  Salvador! 
  (Cat. 
  Birds, 
  xx. 
  p. 
  288) 
  states 
  

   them 
  to 
  be 
  of 
  that 
  colour. 
  The 
  thighs 
  of 
  C. 
  canifrons 
  are 
  

   grey, 
  in 
  C. 
  ochroptera 
  they 
  are 
  yellow. 
  

  

  