79 



16. Pachyrhamphus rufescens. 



Gobemouche roux de Cayenne, Buff. PI. Enl. 453. f. 1 (?). 



Muscicapa rufa, Bodd. Table d. PI. Enl. (?). 



Muscicapa rufescens, Gm. et Lath. (?). 



Pachyrhynchus rufescens, Spix, Av. Bras. ii. pi. 46. f. 2. 



Tityra castanea, Jard. & Selb. 111. Orn. pi. x. f. 2. 



Muscipeta aurantia, Max. Beitr. iii. p. 911 (<? et ? descr. opt.). 



Pachyrhynchus ruficeps, Sw. An. in Men. p. 288. 



Bathmidurus melanoleucus (!), Cab. Orn. Not. p. 244 (partim). 



Psaris melanoleucus, Bp. Consp. p. 181. 



$ . Rufo-castaneus, subtus dilutior, cinnamomeus : pileo subcris- 

 tato intensiore : vitta nuchali oculos utrinque jungente cinerea: 

 primariarum apicibus nigricantibus : cauda unicolore castanea : 

 rostro corneo : pedibus nigris. 



9 . Mari similis, sed paulo dilutior, pileo magis cinereo et remige 

 secunda, sicut semper in fceminis hujus generis, integra. 



Long, tota 5*5, alse 2 - 9, caudse 2'5. 



Hab. Brazil, Para (Spix) ; South-eastern provinces (P. Max.). 



Mus. Brit., Paris., &c. 



I believe this Becard to present one of those exceptional cases 

 (which not unfrequently occur in natural groups) of both sexes of a 

 species, otherwise typical, having the characteristic colouring of the 

 females of the other members of the genus. Like Dr. Cabanis, I for 

 some time supposed that the present bird, which is by no means un- 

 common in collections, was the female of some black and white 

 species. Dr. Cabanis has even gone so far as to prognosticate from 

 a specimen which he supposed to be a young male in process of 

 change, what the plumage of the adult male would be, and has named 

 it melanoleucus. But having lately found that several specimens of 

 these birds in supposed female attire have the second primary abnor- 

 mally short (as is invariably the rule in the adult males of Pachy- 

 rhamphus), I am induced to believe that there is little difference in 

 the coloration of the two sexes of this bird, and that Dr. Cabanis 

 was in error. I may remark, that I have that accurate observer, 

 Prince Maximilian of Neuwied, in my favour, for he describes the 

 male and female of this species as nearly alike. 



Vieillot's Saltator melanoleucus, identified by Prince Bonaparte 

 and others with the supposed male of this species, is a Lamprospiza ! 



