316 Annals of the Carnegie Museum. 



localities it was found in the lower edge of the foothills rather than 

 in the alluvial plain, but was not abundant, only fourteen specimens 

 in all being taken in about six weeks' collecting. Like the other 

 members of the genus it is partial to thick undergrowth and masses of 



267. Sakesphonis melanonotus (Sclater). 



Thamnophilus melanonotus Sclater, Troc. Z06I. Soc. London, 1855, 19, pi. 80 

 ("Santa Marta " ; orig. descr. ; type now in coll. Brit. Mus.). — Sclater, 

 Edinburgh New Pliil. Journ., n. s., I, 1855, 242 ("Santa Marta"; descr.; 

 crit.). — Sclater, Proc. Z06I. Soc. London, 1858, 216 ("Santa Marta"; 

 diag. ; ref. orig. descr.). — Sclater, Cat. Am. Birds, 1861, 175 ("Santa 

 Marta"). — Gray, Hand-List Birds, I, 1869, 310 ("New Granada"). — 

 Sclater and Salvin, Nom. Avium Neotrop., 1873, 70 (range). — Giebel, 

 Thes. Orn., Ill, 1877, 622 (references). — Sclater, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., 

 XV, 1890, 205 ("Santa Marta"; descr.). — Bangs, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash- 

 ington, XII, 1898, 138 ("Santa Marta"). — Allen, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. 

 Hist., XIII, 1900, 161 (Bonda) ; XXI, 1905, 289 (Bonda; descr. nest and 

 eggs). — Bhabourne and Chubb, Birds S. Am., I, 1912, 191 (ref. orig. descr.; 

 range). — Hellmayr and von Seilern, Arch. f. Naturg., LXXVIII, 1912, 120 

 (Bonda; crit.; ref. orig. descr.). 



Additional records: Tucurinca (Carriker). 



Twenty-two specimens : Bonda, Mamatoco, Santa Marta, La Ti- 

 grera, and Fundacion. 



Variation in the males affects the amount of black on the under 

 parts, this color sometimes extending over the breast to include the 

 upper abdomen. Again, the outer web of the outer rectrix, normally 

 with a black subterminal spot, is in one specimen (No. 38,165, Mama- 

 toco) entirely white. Immature males resemble the female at first, 

 but soon begin to acquire the black pileum and back of the adult male. 



The type of this species was a supposed Santa Marta specimen re- 

 ceived by Sclater from Verreaux. Subsequently the species was traced 

 to Venezuela, but few specimens seem to have been extant up to the 

 time Messrs. Smith and Brown sent in a large number of skins. It is 

 strictly a bird of the littoral part of the Tropical. Zone, and in this re- 

 gion appears to be practically confined to the semi-arid lowlands around 

 Santa Marta, back to the edge of the foothills, where it inhabits the 

 thick scrub. One specimen, however, was secured at Fundacion, and 

 one at Tucurinca. 



Mr. Smith sent in one nest, taken at Bonda on May 12, and thus 



