88 Dv, P. L. Sclater on huo rare Species 



a'o ,ve mentioned, that they were specifically identical with D. 

 chrysoparia ; and I accordingly referred them to that species, 

 both in my notes on M. Boucard's collection (P. Z. S. 1862, 

 p. 19) and in my American Catalogue (p. 358). 



In the following year, 1863, Mr. Salvin described and figured 

 a new Dendrceca from Guatemala *, of which he had obtained 

 three specimens during his last expedition to that country in 

 company with Mr. F. Godman. This bird he proposed to call 

 D. niveiventris, remarking at the same time, quite correctly, that 

 it was this species, and not the true D. chrysoparia, that I had ob- 

 tained from M. Boucard's collection. 



As I have just said, Mr. Salvin was quite right in separating 

 his D, niveiventris from D. chrysoparia ; for, in truth, the adult 

 males of these two species are conspicuously different. While, 

 however, I take some credit to myself for assisting my friend to 

 rectify my own mistake on the point, I must at the same time 

 acknowledge myself guilty of the crime of abetting him in cha- 

 racterizing as new a species which had been long previously de- 

 scribed, Mr. Calvin's Den droeca niveiventris being certainly nothing 

 else but Dendrceca accident alis, Baird {Sylvia occidentalis, Towns- 

 end). 



I have, however, again lately had the pleasure of examining 

 specimens of the true D, chrysoparia through the kindness of 

 Mr. Dresser. Two skins obtained by that gentleman, during 

 his recent travels in Texas, from the well-known American natu- 

 ralist, Dr. A. L. Heermann, seem without doubt to belong to that 

 species, and thus give us indications of an interesting extension 

 of its previously known range. One of Dr. Heermann's speci- 

 mens, an adult male of D. chrysoparia, is labelled as having been 

 procured " on the Medina river, Howard's Raunch, San Antonio, 

 Texas,'' in the early spring of the year. The second is without 

 any label, but is probably an immature male of the same 

 species. 



It would thus appear that there are four closely allied species 

 of Dendrceca of this section, inhabiting various parts of North 

 America, of which the diagnosis may shortly be given as follows : 



* P.Z. S. 1863, p. 187. 



