^80 CYPSELID^. 



FBli^oso-niger, dorso, alls et cauda saturatioribus et certa luce nitidis, loris et superciliis indistincte canes- 

 centibus : rostro et pedibus nigris. Long, tota circa 6-3, alse 6-5, caudae rectr. mad. 2-1, rectr. lat. 2-35 

 tarsi 0-5. (Descr. maris ex San Miguel Molino, Puebla, Mexico. Mus. nostr.) 

 5 man simiUs. 



Edb. North America, from British Columbia southwards lo.— Mexico, Sierra Madre de 

 Tepic {W. B. Bich.ardson^% San Miguel Molino in Puebla {F. Ferrari-Perez'^^), 

 State of Vera Cruz (Sumichrast ^) ; Costa Kica, San Jose (Zeledon ^, Cherrie ^). — 

 West Indies generally "^ ; British Guiana ^^. 



Opinions vary concerning this Swift, whether the bird of Western North America 

 and Mexico should be considered distinct from that of the West Indian Islands. The 

 question appears to rest simply on the relative size of the two birds, the former being 

 slightly larger than the latter. Mr. Sclater kept the two birds separate in his 

 Monograph published in 1865 ^^, and Mr. Hartert also admits the continental bird to 

 subspecific rant^*- American ornithologists differ on the subject, but Mr. Kidgway in 

 his Manual places both forms under C. niger. In our opinion the difference is of too 

 slight importance to justify separation, though the continental birds appear to be 

 undoubtedly a little larger than the average of those from the West Indies. 



Little is knovpn of this bird in Mexico. Sumichrast states that it is found in the 

 State of Vera Cruz and breeds there ^^. The latter fact is confirmed by the specimen 

 from Puebla, which is scarcely adult and was shot on the 5th July; and also by 

 Mr. Richardson's examples, all of which are immature and were shot in June ^*. It is 

 probable that the "Black Swift" about the size of C. brunneitorques, which Mr. Richmond 

 (Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. xvi. p. 516) saw in numbers on the Eio Frio in Costa Rica, belonged 

 to this species. It has been recorded from that country by Mr. Zeledon ^ and confirmed 

 by Mr. Cherrie^ and the latter naturalist says that on the label of Mr. Zeledon's specimen 

 in the National Museum is a note to the effect that the bird was breeding when shot. 



2. Cypseloides cherriei. 



Cypseloides cherriei, Ridgw. Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. xvi. p. 44*. 



" Similar in size and general form to C. brunneitorques (Lafr.), but tail quite truncated, with feathers less 

 rigid and only very minutely mucronate. Colour, uniform sooty black (much darker than in C. brunnei- 

 torques), the under surface somewhat paler, especially anteriorly, where becoming light grayish on the 

 chin. A large, sharply defined spot of silky white on each side of the forehead, immediately over the 

 lores, and a short streak of the same colour immediately behind the eye ; lores velvety black, in very 

 sharp contrast with the white spot above them. Length (skin) 5 inches, wing 6, tail 1-87, tarsus 0-50." 

 (Ridgway, I. c.) 



Hah. Costa Rica, Volcan de Irazu {G. K. Cherrie ^). 



" This apparently new species needs no comparison with any other, the peculiar 

 white markings of the head being sufficient to at once distinguish it." {Bidgway.) 



We have seen no bird at all answering to the above description of Mr. Ridgway. 

 The species appears to be remarkably distinct, and we shall be glad to hear more 

 about it. 



