44 



hide einereus, gutture medio albescente, ventre medio et crisso 

 alhis : rostri nigri basi inferiore 'pallida : pedibus nigris. 



Long, tota 6"0, alse 3"2, caudse 2'5. 



Hab. In Mexico meridionali et Guatemala. 



This Contopus much resembles the preceding, but is considerably 

 smaller in its dimensions, of a rather purer cinereous above, and 

 much lighter cinereous below. This colour passes into whitish on 

 the throat, and nearly pure white on the belly and crissum, without 

 showing the continuous white medial stripe, which renders Contopus 

 mesoleucus so noticeable. In structure it is identical with Contopus 

 virens ; but it has no trace of olive on its plumage, 



I regard Contopus as a very natural division of the Tyrannidce, 

 characterized by its long wings and short tarsi. My collection con- 

 tains examples of the following species, which I refer to it : — 



1. Contopus borealis (Sw.), Baird, Rep. p. 188. — T. cooperi, 

 Nutt. : ex America bor., Mexico, et Guatemala. 



2. Contopus mesoleucus. 



3. Contopus sordidulus. 



4. Contopus virens : ex Am. bor., Mex., et Guat. 



5. Contopus bogotensis. — Tyrannula bogotensis, Bp. Consp. 

 p. 190: ex Nov. Grenada et rep. Equat. 



6. Contopus ardesiacus (Lafr.). — Tyr. ardesiaca, Lafr. R. Z. 

 1841, p. 80 : ex Nov. Grenad. et rep. Equat. 



Besides these, I have one bad specimen of a S. American species 

 allied to C. mesoleucus, but which, I have no doubt, is distinct. 



Near Contopus, must be placed, I think, Prince Bonaparte's genus 

 Plmichesia, referred to above. 



6. MiTREPHORUS PH^OCERCUS. 



Empidonax ?, Sclater, P. Z. S. 1858, p. 302. 



Tyranmda 1, Sclater, P. Z. S. 1856, p. 296. 



Supra fuscescenti-olivaceus ; capitis plumis productis ; alts cauda- 

 que obscure nigricantibus, alarum tectricibus rufescente termi- 

 natis, fasciam duplicem alarem constituentibus, secundariis 

 olivaceo extus marginatis : capitis lateribus et corpora subtus 

 cum subalaribus ferrugineis : rostro inferiore jlavo, superiors 

 cum pedibus nigris : remige tertia longissima, secunda quartam 

 (equante, prima sextam vix excedente. 

 Long, tota 4*8, alee 2* 7, caudse 2*4, tarsi 0*52. 

 Hab. In Mexico merid. et in Guatemala. 



This little Tyrant was one of several species of this difficult group 

 in M. Salle's first collection from Cordova, for which I failed in 

 finding descriptions *. Nor have I been more successful since that 

 time, although I have often had the species under my observation in 



* Although I have examined many specimens of Mexican Tyrannidas, I have 

 never succeeded in reconciling any of them to the descriptions given by Mr. 

 Swainson of Platyrhynchus pusUlus, Tyrannula affinis, T. olscura, and T. barbi- 

 rostris in his ' Synopsis of Mexican Birds.' Is it possible the present species can 

 be T. affinis — '^heneaXh pale fulvous" } 



