^°i8 ^^1 Nelson, N^oles on Mexican Birds. l6l 



Distribii/io/i. — Coast lowlands of \'era Cru/, south to eastern Chiapas 

 and perhaps Yucatan. 



Description. — Similar to P.cccruleu from wliicii it differs in generally 

 smaller size, proportionately longer bill, and the tendency to obsoles- 

 cence of black border to forehead in breeding male. An autumnal male 

 from eastern Chiapas lacks the black on forhead and has a large white 

 tip on 4th pair of rectrices. The breeding birds from Vera Cruz have 

 the white conlined to the first 3 pairs of rectrices. 



Averag-e measurements oi P. ccerulea from the eastern United States : 



Ad. J (5 specimens): wing, 53.4; tail, 50.2 ; culmen, 10.7; tarsus, 17.5. 



Ad. ? (s specimens): wing, 51.6; tail, 51 ; culmen, 10.3; tarsus, 17.8. 



Averages of P. c. tnexicana from lowlands of Vera Cruz and Yajalon, 

 Chiapas. 



Ad. $ (5 specimens): wing,49.S; tail, 47.2; culmen, 10.6; tarsus, 1C.6 



Ad. $ (2 specimens): wing, 47.5 ; tail, 45 ; culmen, 10.5; tarsus, 16.5. 



Catharus frantzii alticola (Salv. & Godm.) — The specimens before me 

 appear to prove that Catharus alticola is entitled to rank as a geographi- 

 cal race only and its relationship is expressed in the name given above. 

 We took specimens of it on the Volcano of Santa Maria, Guatemala, and 

 at Pinabete, Chiapas, thus adding it to the fauna of Mexico. 



Merula leucauchen Scl. — This bird occurs northward from Guate- 

 mala at least to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. In this latter district we 

 obtained specimens near Santo Domingo, Oaxaca. Although recent au- 

 thors have treated M. Ieucauche7i as a synonym of M. tristis the bird 

 is certainly distinct. It^may be only a subspecies of tristis but the speci- 

 mens at hand appear to indicatents specific distinctness. 



Merula plebeius {Cab.). — We took specimens of this species at Pina- 

 bete, Chiapas, where it was rather common. Until we obtained the pres- 

 ent specimens it was unknown north of Costa Rica. The birds from 

 Chiapas are not typical and may represent a geographical race of the 

 Costa Rican biid. 



Sialia sialis guatemalae Ridgzv. — Common on the highlands of 

 Chiapas. 



