OF THE GALAPAGOS ARCHIPELAGO. 47o 



ference being its larger size, its having the chest marked with dark brown instead of 

 being white, and in the white terminations to the wing-coverts and secondaries being 

 more conspicuous. 



M. parvulus is very closely related to M. melanotis; and I am inclined to believe that 

 a larger series of specimens would show that the differences (in size alone) would gra- 

 dually disappear. It must be observed that the specimen of the small bird {M. j)ar- 

 vulus) came from the sterile part of Albemarle Island (probably Tagus Cove), and 

 hence may represent a small starved race of the more robust M. melanotis. 



Genus Dendrceca. 



The species of this somewhat varied genus, so far as coloration is concerned, found 

 in the Galapagos Islands belongs to the rather restricted section which is best known by 

 the common Dendrceca cestiva of North America. This last-named bird is extremely 

 abundant, and migrates from the northern continent in autumn to spend its winter in 

 Central America and the northern provinces of South America. Other members of this 

 section are found stationary in Central America and the West-Indian Islands. Closely 

 allied races are to be found in Cuba, Jamaica, the Virgin Islands, and Barbadoes. The 

 Central- American bird is rather more distinctly differentiated, being itself di^dsible into 

 two very closely related races. Mr. Ridgway, the most recent writer on this genus, 

 gives the following as the species and varieties of this section of the genus : — 



Dendrceca ^estiva. Entire continent of North America, migrating in winter to Central and South 



America as far as New Granada. 

 Dendrceca petechia. West Indies, except Trinidad and Barbadoes. 



Var. gundlachi. Cuba and the Bahamas. 



Var. petechia. Jamaica and Haiti. 



Var. ruficcqnlla. Porto Rico, St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. Bartholomew. 

 Dendrceca aureola. Galapagos Islands.- 

 Dendrceca capitalis. Barbadoes. 

 Dendrceca vieilloti. Central America and New Granada. 



Var. vieilloti. New Granada. 



Var. rvfigula. Isthmus of Panama. 



Var. bryanti. Honduras and Yucatan to Mazatlan. 



As it is very difficult to distinguish specifically between fully adult birds from the 

 Galapagos Islands and Jamaica, the generic affinities between B. aureola and other 

 members of Dendrceca are complete. 



Dendk(eca aureola. 



Sylvicola mireola, Gould, Zool. Voy. Beagle, iii. p. 86, t. xvii. 



Dendrceca aureola, Baird, Rev. Am. B. i. p. 194 (note) ; Ridgw. N.-Am. Bii-ds, i. p. 217. 



Dendrceca petechia, var., Sundev. P. Z. S. 1871, p. 124. 



Mniotilte d'ete, Prev. et Des Murs, Vov- Venus, v. p. 197. 



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