8 TTEANNID^. 



1. Rhynchocyclus brevirostris. 



CychrhyncKus brevirostris, Cab. in Wiegm. Arch. f. Natirrg. 1847, i. p. 249^; Scl. P. Z. S. 1856, 



p. 296'; Scl. & Salv. Ibis, 1860, p. 399'. 

 Rhynchocyclus brevirostris, Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. ii. p. 57*; Salv. P. Z. S. 1867, p. 148', 1870, 



p. 197'; Scl. Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xiv. p. 166'. 

 Rhynchocyclus mesorhynchus. Cab. J. f. Orn. 1865, p. 414'. 

 Bhynchocyclus griseimentalis, Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. ix. p. 112'; Salv. Ibis, 1869, p. 315"; 



V. Frantz. J. f. Orn. 1869, p. 307". 



Supra olivaceus imioolor ; alls et oauda nigricantibus extrorsum olivaceo limbatis ; oculorum ambitu griseo, 

 ciliis albis : subtus dilutior, griseo vix tinctus ; ventre medio flavo ; subalaribus flavo albicantibus : rostri 

 maxilla nigra, mandibula albicanfce ; pedibus corylinis. Long, tota 6"0, alse 3'1, caudae 2-75, tarsi 0'75, 

 rostri a rictu 0-7. (Descr. maris ex Choctum, Guatemala. Mus. nostr.) 



5 mari similis, sed pogonio externo remigis primi levi nee aspero. 



Hob. Mexico, Jalapa* {M. Trujillo), Cordova {SalU^); Guatemala ^ Choctum ^ {0. S. 

 & F. D. 0.), La Trinidad, Volcan de Fuego {0. S.); Costa Eica" (Carmiol^^ & 

 JEndres), Dota {Carmiol % Irazu {Bogers) ; Panama, Volcan de Chiriqui ^, Bugaba ^ 

 Calovevora ®, Santa Fe ^ (ArcS). 



Bhynchocyclus brevirostris is the Mexican and Central-American representative of a 

 small section of the genus containing three closely allied members. The oldest known, 

 B. olivaceus, is an inhabitant of the forests of South-eastern Brazil ; B. oeguinoctialis 

 occupies the eastern forests of the Andes of Equador and enters our fauna as far north 

 as the line of the Panama Kailway ; the present species then takes its place and spreads 

 northwards as far as the forest-clad slopes of the mountains of the Mexican State of 

 Vera Cruz. Another more remotely allied form, B. fulvipectus, occupies "Western 

 Ecuador and the Cauca valley of Colombia. 



Several attempts have been made to divide B. brevirostris : thus, the Guatemalan 

 bird was named B. mesorhynchus by Prof. Cabanis and the Costa Eican B. griseimen- 

 talis by Mr. Lawrence. The latter ornithologist correctly showed that the size of the 

 bill, relied on for the discrimination of B. mesorhynchus, is a very unstable character ^, 

 but the peculiarities of coloration set forth as distinguishing B. griseimentalis do not 

 hold good when a series is. examined. This is also Mr. Sclater's view ^, who confirms 

 Salvin's note on this subject ^. We do not, however, subscribe to Mr. Sclater's state- 

 ment that B. brevirostris and B. ceguinoctialis gradually merge into one another. The 

 difierences are, it is true, very slight, but we have no difficulty in assigning every 

 specimen before us to its proper place, and their geographical boundaries appear to 

 be quite definite. 



B. brevirostris is a native of the forests of the hotter parts of the countries it inhabits. 

 In Mexico it occurs near Jalapa at an elevation of about 4000 feet. In Guatemala we 

 found it in the forests near Choctum, at an elevation of about 1200 feet above the sea 

 and on the slopes of the Volcan de Fuego as high as 3000 feet. It probably has a 



