PIAYA. 529 



saturatiore viridi ; pedibus plumbeis. Long, tota circa 18-0, alse 5-6, caudse rectr. med. 10-5, rectr. lat. 5-o, 

 rostri a rietu 1-3, tarsi 1*4. (Descr. maris ex San Lorenzo, Canton de Cordova, Mexico. Mus. nostr.) 

 5 mari similis. 



Hab. Mexico {Deppe^, Wagler^, White ^o), Tamaulipas, Tampico, Valles ( W. B. Richard- 

 son), Misantla {F. B. G.), Jalapa {de Oca ^o, Ferrari-Ferez ", F. B. G.), Cofre de 

 Perote {M. Trujillo), Coatepec [Ferrari-Perez], Cordova {Salle ^^, Sumichrast^^), 

 San Lorenzo near Cordova {Ferrari- Perez), Orizaba {F. B. G., Ferrari-Perez), 

 Atoyac, Teapa {Mrs. H. II. Smith), Tonala, Chihuitan, Barrio {Sumichrast^^), 

 N. Yucatan 9, Peto, Izalara, Temax {G. F. Gaumer), Merida (Schott^^), Meco, 

 Holbox I., Mngeres I. {G. F. Gaumer ^^), Ticul [Stone & Baker '^^); British 

 Honduras, Western District {Blancaneaux) ; Guatemala {Constancia'' ^^), Peten 

 {Leyland^'^), Coban^i, Yzabal^i, Chisec, Cahabon, San Geroaimo, Duenas, 

 Retalhiileu {0. S. & F. B. G.); Salvador, La Libertad {W. B. Richardson) \ 

 Honduras, Omoa [Leyland i^), Truxillo ii, Segovia R 12 [Townsend), San Pedro 

 {G. M. Whitely^% C^mayagua {G. C. Taylor ^^); Nicaragua, Chontales {Belt^% 

 Leon, Chinandega {W. B. Richardson), San Juan del Sur^'*, Sucuya^-^ {Nutting), 

 Escondido E. {Richmond), Blewfields {WicJchani^'') ; Costa Rica {Hoffmann, 

 V. Frantzius ^^), S. Jose {v. Frantzius ^^, Carmiol ^i, Boucard 3°, Zeledon ^^, 

 Cherrie^^), Angostura [v. Frantzius^^, Carmiol^^), V. de Irazu 3^, La Palma^^ 

 {Nutting), Alajuela, Liberia, Cartago, Jimenez {Zeledon^''); Panama, David 

 {Bridges^\ HicJcs^% Castillo, Calovevora {Arc6^^), Lion Hill {M'Leannan'^^'^^). — 

 South America generally, from Colombia to Guiana, Brazil, and Argentina ^^. 



Much difference of opinion exists respecting this Piaya, as to whether it is divisible 

 into several local races, for which many names have been proposed, or whether all 

 should be merged under one title. In the ' Nomenclator Avium Neotropicalium ' the 

 latter course was adopted, which has been followed by Capt. Shelley in the ' Catalogue 

 of Birds in the British Museum.' On the other hand, Mr. Allen (Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. 

 Hist. V. p. 136) has recently revived the treatment of the authors of the 'Museum 

 Heineanum ' (iv. Heft 1, pp. 82 et seq.), and makes six races of P. cayana, to each of 

 Yvhich he assigns a subspecific name, his remarks being inspired by the examination 

 of a series of specimens collected by Mr. Herbert Smith in the Brazilian province 

 of Matto Grosso. That differences occur in specimens from various points of the 

 wide area over which this bird extends is obvious, and they are to a certain extent 

 localized. But in most cases they are not very pronounced, and we feel sure that the 

 greater the amount of material examined and our knowledge of the distribution 

 extended, it will prove, as has been already anticipated, that it will be hardly possible 

 to define all the races of the southern continent that have been proposed. It remains, 

 therefore, for us to examine the relationship of the two forms found within our limits, 

 which we call P. cayana and P. mexicana. The typical forms of these two birds are 

 distinct enough, and may be recognized at once — P. cayana being of a darker colour 

 BIOL, centr.-amer., Avgs, Vol. IL, June 1896. 67 



