460 MOMOTID^. 



j3. Films castaneus. 

 4. Momotus mexicanus. 



Momotus meancanus, Swains. Phil. Mag. new ser. i, p. 442 (1827) '; Zool. 111. ser. 2, ii. t. 81'; 



Scl. P. Z, S. 1857, p. 2r)3 ' ; 1859, p. 387 ' ; 1860, p. 252 ' ; Lawr. Mem. Bost. Soc. N. H. 



ii. p. 289"; Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. no. 4, p. 29'; Sumichrast, La Nat. v. p. 239'; Salv. 



Cat. Strickl. Coll. p. 413 ° ; P. Z. S. 1883, p. 426 '" ; Ferrari-Perez, Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. ix. 



p. 160 " ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xvii. p. 328 ". 

 Crybelus meancanus, Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. ii. p. 112 ". 

 Prionites mexicanus, Wagl. Isis, 1831, p. 528". 

 Momotus martii, Jard. & Selby, 111. Orn. i. t. 23 ^'. 



Supra olivaceo-virescens, capite summo toto castaneo, cervice postica quoque castanea ad dorsi colorem insensim 

 transeuate ; loris et regione suboculari cum tectricibus elongatis auricularibus nigris, his supra et subtns 

 intense violaoeis, macula in regione malari quoque violacea : subtus virescentior, gula cseruleo lavata, 

 abdomine imo albicante, macula pectorali nigra ; alis extus et eauda ceerulescentibus, bujus rectricibus 

 duabus mediis nigro terminatis, remigibus intus ad basin et subalaribus pallida cinnamomeis; rostro 

 nigro ; pedibus corylinis. Long, tota 14*0, alae 4*9, caudee rectr. med. 7*5, rectr. lat. 1-95, rostri a riotu 

 1*75, tarsi 1-05. (Descr. maris ex Tonala, Chiapas. Mus. nostr.) 



$ mari similis. 



Ilab. Mexico ( Wagler i*, Galeotti ^), Mazatlan ^ ( Grayson, Xantus, Bischoff), Presidio 

 de Mazatlan (Forrer), Santiago and San Bias in the Territory of Tepic, Bolanos 

 ( W. B. Eichardson), Plains of Colima {Xantus ^, W. B. Bichardson), Colima, 

 Beltran and Tonila in Jalisco ( W. Lloyd), Temiscaltepec [Bullock ^), Cuernavaca 

 {le Strange), Chietla {Ferrari-Ferez ^^), Amula, Eincon, and Chilpancingp in 

 Guerrero {Mrs. H. H. Smith), Acapulco {A. H. Markham ^*^), Rio Grande 

 {Boucard *), Lucapa {Mus. Liverp. ^), Golan {Belattre ^), Quicatlan {Deppe ^), 

 Sola in Oaxaca {M. Trujillo), Chihuitan ^, Santa Efigenia ^ ^, Barrio '', 

 IjOs Cues '', Tonala ^, Tapanatepec ^ {Sumichrast), Tehuantepec ^ {Sumichrast, 

 W. B. Bichardson). 



Momotus mexicanus is restricted in its range to Western Mexico, where it is found 

 from Mazatlan to Tehuantepec, and is apparently by no means a rare species in that 

 region. Grayson says^ that it frequents the darkest woods of the Tierra Caliente, 

 breeding in the ground like the Kingfishers, and laying three or four clear white eggs. 

 He adds that it is a constant resident in the neighbourhood of Mazatlan and quite 

 common at Tehuantepec. It subsists chiefly on insects. 



Besides frequenting the lowlands bordering the Pacific Ocean, this species is found 

 some distance in the interior, and has been recorded from Temiscaltepec, where 

 Swainson's original specimen came from ^, and also from Cuernavaca and Chietla ^^, 

 places on the slope of the Cordillera at some elevation above sea-level. 



Though found by all collectors who have visited Western Mexico, hardly any notice 

 has been taken of the habits of this species, Sumichrast states that the iris is red, the 

 bill black, the base of the mandible whitish horn-colour, and the feet dull cinereous ^. 



