EMPIDONAX. 79 



overlooked by subsequent writers. Mr. Eidgway makes no reference to Tyrannula 

 affmis, and the name does not appear in Mr. Sclater's recently published catalogue. 



The latter author, though he otherwise adopts, almost in its entirety, Mr. Eidgway's 

 classification of Empidonax, does not admit the distinctness of E. fulvipectus, Lawr., 

 from E. obscurus. But with a more extensive series before us we have little difficulty 

 in separating them by the characters pointed out above. 



E. affinis occurs throughout the valley of Mexico, together with E. obscurus and the 

 species next described as E. canescens, all of them being equally common. It also 

 occurs with E. obscurus at La Parada, in the Sierra Madre del Sur, and northwards in the 

 Sierra Madre of Durango and Sonora. Whether the three birds occupy different areas 

 in the breeding-season remains to be proved. 



13. Empidonax canescens, sp. n. 



E. ohscuro quoque aflSnis, sed corpore supra multo magis griseo, dorso vix olivaceo tincto : subtus usque ad 

 pectus griseus, gutture medio albicante, abdomine albicante flavo vix lavato : rostro angusto elongato, 

 mandibula ad basin pallida. Long, tota 5-8, alae 8"1, caudse 2-6, tarsi 0'7, rostri a rictu 0-7. (Descr. 

 maris ex Mexicalcingo prope urbem Mexico. Mus. nostr.) 



5 mari similis. 



JIab. Mexico, Ixtapalapa, Culhuacan, Huipulco, Coapa, Mexicalcingo, and Chimalpa, 

 near city of Mexico (Ferrari-Perez). 



In Prof. Ferrari-Perez's collection of birds made during the winter and spring months 

 of 1887-88 are many specimens of this species, all taken in the valley of Mexico and 

 the surrounding hills. Compared with E. obscurus and E. affmis it is a much greyer 

 bird, with a longer narrower bill. Two specimens, in ragged plumage, q and r of 

 Mr. Sclater's Catalogue, and there considered young birds of E. obscurus, belong to this 

 species. 



B. Pileus niger. 



14. Empidonax atriceps. (Tab. XL. fig. 3.) 



Empidonax atriceps, Salv. P. Z. S. 1870, p. 198'; Ridgw. Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. vi. p. 413'. 

 Mitrephanes atriceps, Ridgw. Ibis, 1886, p. 461 ' ; Scl. Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xiv. p. 220 *. 



Supra fuscus ; uropygio et coUo postico paulo dilutioribus ; pUeo toto nigro ; alis et cauda nigricanti-fuseis, 

 secundariis et tectricibus alarum majoribus sordide albo marginatis ; rectricibus utrinque extimis extrorsum 

 albo limbatis : subtus ocbraceo-fuscus ; gula et ventre imo albicantibus ; loris et macula postoculari albidis ; 

 campterio et subalaribus sordide albis : rostri maxilla nigra, mandibula flava ; pedibus nigris. Long, tota 

 4-5, alae 2-3, caudse 2-0, tarsi 0-6. (Descr. exempl. fcyp. ex Volcan de Chiriqui. Mus. nostr.) 



Hab. Costa Eica, Irazu [Rogers 4), Pirris (/. Cooper ^) ; Panama, Volcan de Chiriqui 

 [Arce 1). 



This very distinct species was discovered by our collector Arce on the southern slope 

 of the Volcan de Chiriqui, and it has since been found in Costa Eica. 



Mr. Eidgway, followed by Mr. Sclater, places E. atriceps in the genus Mitrephanes, 

 but we still think it fits much better in Empidonax. It has no crest, the tail is not 



