TITTEA. 119 



It has long been the custom to keep Mexican and Central-American Tityroe of this 

 form distinct under the name of T. personata, but with a large series before us from all 

 parts of its range we are unable to find any tangible grounds for separation, and 

 therefore follow Mr. Sclater in uniting them all under the name of T. semifasciata, 

 which was originally applied to the Brazilian bird. 



Comparing a s,pecimen from Misantla, in Eastern Mexico, with one from Lion Hill 

 on the Panama Railw.ay we find scarcely any perceptible diflerence ; the back of the 

 latter is a little paler, and this seems to be generally the case in southern specimens. 



As will be seen from the list of localities where this species occurs, its distribution 

 is pretty general throughout our region, except in the -northern and central States of 

 Mexico, and its range in altitude extends from the sea-level to a height of about 4000 

 feet in the mountains. Grayson ^'^ says that in the neighbourhood of Mazatlan it is 

 generally seen in very lofty trees, either in «mall flocks, but more usually solitary or in 

 pairs. It feeds on various kinds of fruit and also insects, which he saw it dart after 

 like the Flycatchers. He found it near Mazatlan in the months of November, February, 

 April, and June. It doubtless breeds in the mountain region of that latitude. It has 

 no song, the voice being rather harsh. 



Mr. Nutting ^i gives a similar account of its food and method of catching insects, 

 except that he does not include fruit as part of its diet. Salmon ^, on the other hand, 

 mentions fruit as its only food. No doubt much depends upon the time of year and 

 the food most accessible, as all these birds, including some of the Tyrannidae, eat both 

 insects and fruit. Though chiefly a denizen of the forest country, it also frequents 

 pine-regions, such as are found in British Honduras ; and Mr. Nutting shot one at La 

 Palma in Costa Rica in a large tree standing in an open field. 



Salmon says the nest is placed in a hole in a decayed tree almost on a level with the 

 entrance. The egg is white. 



The bare portion round the eye and the basal half of the bill in life is a reddish flesh- 

 colour. The iris is dark red, and the feet and toes lead-colour. 



2. Tityra alMtorques. 



Tityra albitorques, Du Bus, Bull. Ac. Brux. xiv. pt. 2, p. 104' j Moore, P. Z. S. 1859, p. 56'j Scl. 



P. Z. S. 1859, p. 284 ' ; Scl. & Salv. Ibis, 1860, p. 400 ' ; Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. vii. p. 295 ' ; 



viii. p. 182^ ix. p. 116 \ 

 Exetastes albitorques, Cab. & Hein. Mus. Hein. ii. p. 84". 

 Erator albitorques, Sumicbrast, Mus. Bost. Soc. N. H. i. p. 558 '. 

 Tityriafraseri, Kaup, P. Z. S. 1851, p. 47, tt. 37, 38'° ; Salv. P. Z. S. 1870, p. 199" ; Scl. & Salv. 



P. Z. S. 1870, p. 837''; Boucard, P. Z. S. 1883, p. 449"; Ridgw. Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus, 



X. p. 589 ". 

 Tityria albitorques fraseri. Nutting, Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. v. p. 397 '". 



Supra pallide grisea ; loris et capite summo nigris ; alis nigris, remigibus interne ad basin albis ; tectricibus 

 minoribuB dorso ooncoloribus, majoribus nigris ; cauda alba, fascia subterminali et rhachidibus supra nigris : 



