THRYOTHORDS. 125 



Tbryottaorus petenicus. 



ThryothoTus petenicus, Salvin, Pr. Z. S. May, 1863, 187 (Peten). 



(Mr. Salvin's type, No. 112.) Bill longer than the head; tail and wings 

 about equal. Color above reddish-brown ; more rufous on the rump. Upper 

 tail coverts grayish-brown, rather obscurely banded witli black. Outer edges 

 of primaries marked with grayish and black, of secondaries and whole exposed 

 surface of wing with very obsolete, almost inappreciable dusky bars. Under 

 parts whitish, nearly pure on throat and middle of belly, tinged with fulvous 

 (and with the feathers very slightly tipped with dusky) across the breast; 

 the sides more like the back, but paler. Crissura with broad white and black 

 bars ; flanks obscurely barred with dusky. A broad line of white, edged 

 with black, from bill over eye to nape : tho^e of opposite sides connected by 

 a concealed series of black-edged white streaks on the nuchal feathers, which 

 form a half collar with more distinctly maiked feathers on the side of neck 

 behind the ear coverts, which are like the back. Lower part of cheek feathers 

 white, edged, with dusky. Tail feathers black; the outer webs and tips 

 spotted or blotched with dirty white ; the middle feathers ashy-brown, with 

 spotted broken bars of black, about one-third their interspaces. Rump with 

 concealed spots of white. Bill longer than the head. 



(Type.) Total length, 6.30; wing, 2.25; tail, 2.25; graduation, .26; ex- 

 posed portion of 1st primary, .90, of 2d, 3.40, of longest (measured from 

 exposed base of 1st primary), 1.70; length of bill from forehead, .85, from 

 nostril, .55, along gape, .92; tarsus, .8G ; middle toe and claw, .80; claw 

 alone, .23 ; hind toe and claw, .65 ; claw alone, .27. 



This species is very similar in coloration and general appearance 

 to the typical styles of T. hewichii, from the eastern United States. 

 The bill, however, is much larger and longer, the legs much stouter, 

 and the wings and tail about equal, in-stead of the latter being longer. 

 In these points it agrees more nearly with T. ludovicianus, as well 

 as in the character of the nostrils. The white spots of the nape are, 

 however, wanting in hewickii, in which also the wing is more dis- 

 tinctly barred ; the bands on the upper surface of the tail twice as 

 numerous-; the white markings quite similar; the crissal bars nar- 

 rower and less prominent. 



This species appears closely related to Thryotliorus albinucha, of 

 Cabot, and murinus, of Hartlaub, though differing in some respects 

 from their descriptions. It is quite possible that the two latter may 

 prove to be the same species, even if different from petenicus. All 

 seem to agree with T. bewickii in the black tail feathers, varied a 

 little with white. 



For the opportunity of examining this species I am indebted to 

 Mr. Salvin, who kindly transmitted his unique type for the purpose. 

 (No. 112, Sakleek River, near Peten, Guatemala, April, 1862.) 



