62 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology 



142. Agyrtrina brevirostris brevirostris (Lesson). 



Four specimens, adult and iraraature, Vicinity of Paramaribo, Ml^y. 



There is apparently some confusion in regard to the nomenclature 

 of this species. 



Lesson (Hist. nat. ois.-mouches, 1S29, p. 211, pi. 77) originally 

 described this bird as Ornismya hrevirostris, giving the type-locality 

 "Guiane." Harteft and other authors, however, have used A. 

 brevirostris for the Brazilian form, and Brabourne and Chubb (The 

 birds of South America, 1912, 1, 113), considering the type-locality 

 Guiana an error went so far as to substitute "S. Brazil," excluding 

 Guiana altogether from its range. 



On comparing our immature bird, 876,^ with Lesson's description 

 and plate, we find it to agree perfectly. Inthe young bird the base 

 of the lower mandible is yellowish, while in the adult the entire bill 

 is black; the lower parts are pure white with some gray in the under 

 tail-coverts; the rump has golden reflections, more pronounced in 

 the adult; and the tail is greenish with darker edges especially in the 

 outer rectrices. 



In the Brazilian bird, of which we have a large series, the flanks and 

 sides are more covered with greenish spots, showing much less white 

 on the breast and belly; the rump is practically of the same color as 

 the back; and the tail does not agree so well with Lesson's plate. 



It is perfectly obvious that Lesson's description and plate were 

 based on an immature bird of A. b. brevirostris differing very de- 

 cidedly from the Brazilian bird generally known as A. brevirostris. 

 Probably the confusion came about from the fact that up to the present 

 time no immature birds of- true A. b. brevirostris from Guiana have 

 been available for comparison. 



We ha^•e not seen any specimens of the bird described by Boucard 

 (Humming bird, 1893, 3, p. 8) as Uramitra whitelyi, type-locality 

 Aunai, British Guiana, now considered a subspecies of A. rhionopeetus 

 (Gould), but our adult birds agree exactly with Chubb's illustration 

 (The birds of British Guiana, 1916, 1, pi. 8), and we^provisionally 

 propose to consider it identical with true A. b. brevirostris. 



F. P. and -A. P. Penard (Dc vogels van Guyana, 1910, 2, p. 121) 

 list the Surinam birds as Agyrtria ehionopectus (Gould). 



The bird inhabiting Trinidad and the coast of Venezuela, now 

 becomes Agyrtrina tnevirostris ehionopectus (Gould) since the name 

 brerirostris antedates ehionopectus. 



' IViiard Coll. 



