1917.] Chapman, Distribution of Bird-life in Colombia. 321 



(Cab. Mus. Hein., IV, i, p. 85). The description here given by Cabanis 

 may apply to certain Antioquian specimens which, while not typical of 

 nigricrissa, as stated above, are nearer to that form than to Columbiana. 



Thus while Cabanis describes the tibiae of his Colombian specimen as 

 ■' nigricantibus," a term applied also to other forms, its ventral region and 

 crissum are described as "nigris," a statement which is applied, and will 

 apply only to the form here under consideration. It is true that the meas- 

 urement given by Cabanis for the tail of his specimen (ten inches) is shorter 

 than that of the bird to which I apply his name. This, however, may be 

 said of all three of the Colombian forms of Piaya and the measurement 

 given is apparently, therefore, either an error or is taken from a specimen 

 in which the tail was not fully developed. It is not, however, in my opinion 

 necessary to resort to this second description of nigricrissa, Cabanis' treat- 

 ment of the form in J. f. O. {I. c.) being sufficiently definite to admit of the 

 application of the name, in accordance with Sclater's intention, to the west 

 Ecuador form. 



These facts, consequently, in connection with those presented under the 

 following form, appear to warrant the use of the name nigricrissa of which, 

 therefore, caucce Stone becomes a synonym. 



Alto Bonito, 1; San Jose, 1; Barbacoas, 2; Buena vista, 1; Hicaurte, 1; 

 Puerto Valdivia, 2; San Antonio, 4; Cerro Munchique, 2; Guengiie, 1; 

 Rio Frio, 1; Miraflores, 1; Salehto, 2; Sta. Elena, 2; Andes w. of Honda 

 (5000 ft.), 2. 



(1485) Piaya cayana mesura (Cab.). 



P[yrrhococcyx\ mesurus Cab., Mus. Hein., IV, I, 1862, p. 83 (Bogotd). 

 Piaya cayana nigricrissa Auct. neo. Cab. 



Two forms of Piaya inhabit the Bogota region, P. c. mesura and P. c. 

 Columbiana. The first occurs on the eastern slopes of the Eastern Andes, 

 and, singularly enough, on both eastern and western slopes of the Andes at 

 the head of the Magdalena Valley; the second, occurs on the slopes of the 

 Eastern Andes west of Bogota and in the Magdalena Valley at least as far 

 south as Chicoral. 



Previous authors have considered Cabanis' name mesura as applicable 

 to the western slope bird and have, consequently, synonymized it with co- 

 lumbiana; but although western slope specimens are not typical of Colum- 

 biana, they are too near that race to make it probable that Cabanis, after 

 describing columbiana (1. c. p. 82), would, on the next page, describe as new 

 a bird which is not separable from it. Of more importance, however, is the 

 fact that Cabanis' description of mesura will not apply to the western slope 



