Todd-Carriker : Birds of Santa Marta Region, Colombia. 523 



specimens at from 9,200 to 12,800 feet in July, and Mr. Brown col- 

 lected a series of thirteen on the Paramo de Chiruqua, at the edge of 

 the snow (15,000 feet), in February and March. According to the 

 writer's experience it is a fairly abundant bird, as abundance goes at 

 these altitudes, where bird-life in general is so scarce. It was first 

 detected on the Cerro de Caracas early in April, a small flock being 

 encountered on each of the two trips made. A small flock was also 

 found on the Paramo de Mamarongo at about 10,000 or 11,000 feet, 

 and a series secured. It was most abundant on the Paramo de Chiru- 

 qua above 12,000 feet, ranging thence ashigh as 15,000 feet or more, 

 being in fact practically the only bird present in the desolate wastes of 

 the mountain along the snow-line. It is very shy, the flocks scattering 

 widely in all directions at the first shot, and the birds hiding so cleverly 

 beside some stone or tuft of grass as to elude observation completely, 

 until they unexpectedly take wing, not alighting again for a long dis- 

 tance, and flying in long graceful sweeps, after the manner of the 

 American Goldfinch. 



502. Buarremon basilicus Bangs. 



Buarremon basilicus Bangs, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, XII, 1898, 159 

 (Pueblo Viej'o; orig. descr. ; type now in Mus. Comp. Z06I. ; meas. ; crit.) ; 

 XIII, 1899, 104 (Chirua and San Francisco; plum.). — Allen, Bull. Am. 

 Mus. Nat. Hist., XIII, 1900, 121, 167 (Valparaiso and El Libano). — Dubois, 

 Syn. Avium, I, 1901, 647 (ref. orig. descr.; range). — Shakpe, Hand-List 

 Birds, V, igog, 336 (ref. orig. descr.; range). — von Beelepsch, Verb. V. 

 Int. Orn.-Kong., igii, 11 03 (Santa Marta localities; ref. orig. descr.). — 

 Beabourne and Chubb, Birds S. Am., I, 1912, 390 (ref. orig. descr.; range). 



Twenty-five specimens : El Libano, Cincinnati, San Lorenzo, Pa- 

 ramo de Mamarongo, Pueblo Viejo, and Heights of Chirua. 



Judging from the description alone (in one case) this species, the 

 range of which is restricted to the present region, must be very close 

 to Buarremon poliophrys of central Peru, notwithstanding its wide 

 separation therefrom geographically.. It is quite distinct from, al- ■ 

 though closely related to, B. phceopleurus of northern Venezuela. It 

 wes described by Mr.' Bangsfrom a singlespecimen collected by Mr. 

 Brown at Pueblo Viejo. ,Later .four other specimens were secured in 

 the same .general region, at Chirua and San Francisco. Mr. Smith 

 extended its. range to the San Lorenzo, securing specimens at Val- 

 paraiso (now Cincinnati). and, El Libano. In ithis section it ranges 



