568 Bulletin American Museum of Natural History. [Vol. XXXVI, 



(3882) Brachyspiza capensis peruviana (Less.). 



Pyrgita peruviana Less, Rev. Zool., 1839, p. 45 (Lima, Peru). 



Zonotrichia pileata Wtatt, Ibis, 1871, p. 328 (Cachiri; Pamplona road; 7000- 

 9000 ft.); ScL. & Salv., P. Z. S., 1879, p. 607 (Retire; Envigado; Medellin). 



Brachyspiza capensis peruviana Allen, Bull. A. M. N. H., XIII, 1900, p. 164 

 (Santa Marta). 



This widely distributed and abundant wayside bird ranges from the 

 upper borders of the arid Tropical Zone through arid or deforested areas 

 in the Subtropical Zone and throughout the Temperate Zone. Probably 

 it is most numerous in the last-named zone. The lowest elevation at which 

 we have met it is Caldas (alt. 1800 ft.), the arid pocket on the west slope of 

 the Western Andes. It is found all along the trail to Cali, in the Cauca 

 Valley, and on the Central Andes to timberline. It was not observed in 

 the Magdalena Valley at Honda, nor did we encounter it in ascending 

 the western slope of the eastern range until we had reached an altitude 

 of 5000 feet, a few miles east of Guaduas. From this point it was com- 

 mon upward to the Bogota Savanna where it is one of the most characteris- 

 tic species, and thence eastward over the pass (alt. 10700 ft.) on the trail 

 to Villavicencio, and down this trail to the vicinity of Monteredoijdo (alt. 

 4600 ft.) where the arid Subtropical Zone meets the upper border of the 

 iumid Tropical Zone. 



Eighty specimens from the region here outlined represent but one race, 

 which comparison with eight Peruvian birds, including four topotypes from 

 Lima, supports Mr. Ridgway's conclusion ' that Colombian birds are most 

 nearly related to the form from western Peru. Sixteen specimens from 

 Costa Rica and Chiriqui (B. c. costaricensis (Allen) are darker and smaller 

 than Peruvian birds and have more black on the throat, but the range of 

 individual variation is so great that to recognize a northern form would make 

 it difficult to name exactly specimens from most of the territory between 

 Peru and Costa Rica, and I follow Ridgway (l. c.) in applying the name 

 peruviana to the birds from the whole area. 



Paramillo, 9; La Frijolera, 1 ; Caldas, 3; San Antonio, 8; Cali, 4; Popa- 

 yan, 1; Cerro Munchique, 3; Crest of Range, 2; Ricaurte, 2; Salento, 3 

 Sta. Elena, 1; Laguneta, 1; Santa label, 3; El Eden, 3; Rio Toche, 4 

 Miraflores, 3; La Sierra, 1; Valle de las Pappas, 1; near San Agustin, 5 

 below Andalucia (3000 ft.) 2; La Holanda, 4; El Roble, 1; El Pinon, 1 

 Bogota, 6; Chipaque, 3; Quetame, 2. 



1 Bull. 50, U. S. N. M., I, p. 348. 



