MOMOTUS.— BAETPHTHENGUS. 461 



The bird figured by Jardine and Selby under the name of Momotus martii was one 

 of Bullock's Mexican specimens and bought at the sale of his collection. It has, of 

 course, nothing to do with M. martii, Spix. 



5. Momotus castaneiceps. 



Momotus castaneiceps, Gould, P. Z. S. 1854, p. 154 '; Scl. P. Z. S. 1857, p. 254 ''^ Salv. Ibis, 1861, 

 p. 354 ' ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xvii. p. 329 *. 



M. mexicano similis, capite summo intense castaneo, tectricibus auricularibus elongatis fere omnino nigris, 

 plaga malari violacea nulla, macula pectorali nigra majore facile distinguendus. Long, tota circa 14-5] 

 alae 5-2, caudse rectr. med. 7-5, rectr. lat. 1-5, rostri a rictu 1-6, tarsi 1-1. 



Hab. Guatemala {Gould \ Mus. Liverpool^, Mus. Philad. Ac. ^, Mus. Bremen%Ysi\\ej 

 of the Eio Motagua from Guastatoya and La Magdalena to Gualan {0. S. & 

 F. D. G. 3). 



The late .John Gould described this species in 1854 from a specimen sent him from 

 Guatemala 1, and in 1857 Mr. Sclater stated ^ that he had seen specimens in the 

 Bremen Museum also from Guatemala, and others in the Museum of the Academy of 

 Philadelphia and that of Lord Derby at Liverpool. He also gives Coban in Guatemala, 

 on the authority of Delattre, as the precise locality where this bird is found. The 

 latter statement we think is very doubtfully correct, as we have never met with a 

 single specimen of it in any of the large collections of bird-skins from Coban and its 

 neighbourhood which we have examined. 



The only part of Guatemala that we know of where Momotus castaneiceps occurs is 

 the valley of the Motagua river, between the narrow gorge near Guastatoya and 

 La Magdalena, and the denser forest which commences above Gualan. This includes 

 the whole of the plain of Zacapa, which is comparatively open country, large cacti 

 and mimosa trees being the characteristic plants. Here M. castaneiceps is by no 

 means an uncommon bird, and individuals may frequently be seen along the roadside, 

 their habits being precisely like those of M. lessoni and other well-known members of 

 the family. 



Though closely allied to M. mexicanus, this species is readily distinguished by the 

 deeper colour of the chestnut head, and the nearly total absence of the violet-blue 

 marks on either side of the black band which runs from the lores to the ear-coverts. 

 The black feathers which form the pectoral patch are also larger. 



BAKYPHTHENGUS. 



Baryphthengus, Cabanis & Heine, Mus. Hein. ii. p. 114 (1859). 



Urospatha, Salvadori, Atti R. Ace. SC. Tor. iv. p. 179 (1868) ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xvii. 

 p. 314. 

 The type of this genus is the Tutu of Azara, Baryphonu^ ruficapillus of Vieillot. 



