98 



species) is rather larger and stronger, and has the greater wing- 

 coverts and secondaries broadly margined exteriorly with white, and 

 has narrow white edgings to the exterior tail-feathers. The other 

 is smaller, weaker, and has the wings and tail uniform black without 

 edgings. This seems to be the bird represented by Mr. Cassin as let. 

 melanocephalus. He says that the sexes are coloured nearly alike. 

 My specimen of the former bird is from Orizaba, collected by M. Bot- 

 teri ; of the latter from the tierra caliente, I believe. An apparently 

 female bird of true melanocephalus has the wing- and tail-feathers 

 brown and the general plumage more greenish, but still shows signs 

 of the white edgings of coverts and secondaries. I am not confident 

 as to the real distinctness of these two birds, and for the present for- 

 bear to separate them by name ; but I cannot avoid acknowledging 

 that they seem to be different. 



12. Cassidix oryzivora, Cab. Mus. Hein. p. 194. 



In M. Verreaux's collection from Southern Mexico are specimens 

 referable to this rather variable species. I have examples also 

 from New Grenada, and it appears to extend over Guiana and 

 Brazil. 



13. H^EMOPHILA RXJFESCENS, Sw. 



The bird described by Prince Bonaparte in the ' Comptes Rendus' 

 for May 12th, 1856, as Geospizopsis melanotis (of which I have 

 lately obtained a specimen) is the young either of this species or of 

 H. superciliosa, for at present I am unable to distinguish the two 

 satisfactorily. I have already shown that Geospizopsis typus, the 

 so-called second bird of the genus, is a female of a species of Phry- 

 gilus (vide P. Z. S. 1855, p. 160), so that this ugly generic name 

 may be altogether cancelled as useless. 



14. Geotrygon albifacies. 



Peristera mexicana, G. R. Gray in Mus. Brit. 

 Peristera albifacies, G. Pi. Gray in Mus. Brit. 

 Geotrygon chiriquensis, Bp. Compt. Rend. Orn. Foss. &c. p. 21 

 (nee Sclateri). 



Rufo-cinnamomeus, interscapulio purpur ascent e, alis extus casta- 



neis ; pileo toto griseo frontem versus canescente ; hoc pure 



albo : subtus pallide rufescenti-ochraceus, gula albicante, cer- 



vice antica et laterali nigro squamulata : pectore plumbescente 



tincto ; remigibus alarum et caudce rectricibus nigricantibus, 



his supra brunnescentioribus et (nisi in duabus mediis) albo 



late terminatis : rostro nigro : pedibus corallino-rubris. 



Long, tota 10*5, alee 6*3, caudse 3-5, tarsi 16. 



There has been a great deal of confusion about this Pigeon, caused 



principally by the practice of publishing names without descriptions, 



which leaves anybody else who is at work at the same group, the 



privilege of guessing at what may be the species intended, unless he 



likes to adopt the safer and more reasonable course of ignoring such 



