TYEANNISCU8. 33 



besides being devoid of an occipital crest, it has a shorter, wider bill, and more fully 

 developed rictal bristles. The tail is normal, not short as in Tyrannulus semifiavus. 



The range of Tyranniscus extends over most of Tropical America as far north as 

 Guatemala, where T. vilissimus occurs, its place being taken in Costa Rica and the 

 State of Panama by T. parvus, the two constituting the only representatives of the 

 genus within our border. 



1. Tyranniscus vilissimus. 



Elainia vilissima, Scl. & Salv. Ibis, 1859, p. 132, t. 4. f. 1'; Salv. Ibis, 1860, p. 194 \ 

 Tyranniscus vilissimus, Scl. Cat. Am. B. p. 216 ' ; Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xiv. p. 132 * ; Scl. & Salv, 

 P. Z. S. 1870, p. 843 \ 



OlivaceuB ; pileo nigricanti-cinereo ; fronte et superciliis albis ; alis fusco-nigris, tectricibus majoribus, secun- 

 dariis et primariis secunda, tertia, quarta et quinta ad basin viridi-flavo extrorsum anguste limbatis ; 

 Cauda fusco-nigrioante olivaoeo marginata : subtus einerascens ; abdomine toto viridi-flavicante, medialiter 

 pallidiore ; bypochondriis olivaceo substriatis : rostro nigricante, mandibula pallidiore ; pedibus nigri- 

 cantibus. Long, tota 4'7, alse 2-35, caudse 2-0, rostri a rictu 0-4, tarsi 0-65. (Descr. maris ex Volcan de 

 Fuego, Guatemala. Mus. nostr.) 



$ man similis, sed (ut videtur) minor. 



Hab. Guatemala {Skinner^}, Duenas, Calderas, Tactic, Choctum {0. S. & F. B. G.), 

 Coban {0. S.^) ; Hondueas, San Pedro {G. M. Whitely^). 



This species, though also found in the low forest-country near Choctum, is very 

 common in the neighbourhood of Coban at an altitude of about 4000 feet, and many 

 specimens were brought us by the Indian boys of that town killed by their blow-guns ^. 

 T. vilissimus frequents the margins of the forest-clearings and the hedgerows dividmg 

 gardens or fields. Near Duenas it is more rare than at Coban, but we obtained several 

 specimens from the woods clothing the Volcan de Fuego up to an elevation of 7000 feet 

 above the sea-level. 



T. vilissimus is included both by Mr. Lawrence and Mr, Zeledon in their lists of 

 Costa Eican birds, but, from specimens in our possession from that country, T. parvus is 

 the Tyranniscus of this form that is found there. This view is confirmed by a specimen 

 from Angostura sent us by Baird as T. vilissimus, but which is undoubtedly T. parvus. 



2. Tyranniscus parvus. 



Tyranniscus parvus, Lawr. Ibis, 1862, p. 12 '; Ann. Lye. N. Y. vii. p. 473 "; ScL & Salv. P. Z. S. 



1864, p. 359 ^ 1870, p. 843 ^ Salv. P. Z. S. 1867, p. 147 «, 1870, p. 197"; Scl. Cat. Birds 



Brit. Mus. xiv. p. 132 '. 

 Tyranniscus vilissimus, Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. ix. p. Ill ^ 



PrsBcedenti similis, sed multo minor ; corpore subtus albicante, bypochondriis et criaso tantum olivaceo tinctis 

 distinguendus. (Descr. esempl. ex Panama. Mus. nostr.) 



Eab. Costa Rica, Turrialba (ArcS^), Angostura, Dota, Turrialba, and Barranca 

 {Carmiol ^) ; Panama i, Chiriqui «, Bugaba ^ Calovevora ^, Boquete de Chitra ^ Santa 

 , Fe 5 {Arcis), Lion Hill (M'Leannan i ^ 3). 

 BIOL. CENTK.-AMBK., Aves, Vol. II., December 1888. 5 



