BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 473 



[Buarrevion] capUalis Sclater and Salvin, Nom. Av. Neotr., 1873, 24. 



Suarremon capitalis SovcAUB, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1878,55 (Volcan de Irazu, 

 Costa Rioa) .— Zeledon, Cat. Aves de Costa Rica, 1882, 8; An. Mus. Nac. Costa 

 Eica, i, 1887, 110 (Volcan de Irazii).— Salvin and Godman, Biol. Centr.- 

 Am., Aves, i, 1884, 322, pl.23,flg.l. 



Genus PLATYSPIZA Ridg-way. 



Platyepiza Bidsway, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus.,xix, no. 1116, March 15, 1897, 545. 

 (Type, Camarhynchua variegatus Sclater and Salvin, = C. crassiroslris Gould.) 



Stoutlj' built, short-tailed semiterrestrial Fringillidse with the tail less 

 than twice as long as tarsus, outstretched feet reaching to or beyond 

 tip of tail, culmen strongly convex, commissure strongly angulated 

 or deflexed basally, angle of mandibular tomium toothed, and basal 

 width of mandible decidedly greater than length of gonys. 



Bill short, deep, and broad, with culmen stronglj' convex, but gonj's 

 straight, the latter decidedly shorter than basal width of mandible; 

 maxillary tomium strongly angulated or deflexed basally; mandibular 

 tomium with its decided sUbbasal angle obviously toothed. Nostril 

 very small, circular or oval,* in anterior portion of exposed nasal 

 fossae. Rictal bristles obsolete. Wing about three times as long as 

 tarsus, rounded (ninth primary equal to or longer than fourth), the 

 wing- tip short (less than length of maxilla from nostril). Tail, short 

 (less than twice as long as tarsus), slightly rounded. Middle toe, 

 with claw, nearly as long as tarsus. 



Coloration. — Above nearly plain dull olivaceous, beneath dull whitish 

 streaked with dusky; adult males with head, neck, and chest black. 



Although I have formerly kept the type (and only known species) 

 of this genus with GamarhyncJms, I now believe that by its withdrawal 

 the latter becomes a much more natural group. There is really a very 

 great difl'erence in the form of the bill between P. crassirostris and 

 the true Oamarhynchi, an approach to that of some ,of the species of 

 Oeospiza being indicated; but the style of coloration agreeing strictly 

 with that of the typical Oamarhynchi (which never have more than 

 the head, neck, and chest uniform black, while in some species there 

 is no black whatever), Platyspiza is undoubtedly, in my opinion, 

 more closelj^ related to GcrniarhyncJms than to Geospiza} 



Range. — Peculiar to the Galapagos Archipelago. (Monotypic.) 



'I am compelled to disagree with Messrs. Rothschild and Hartert (Novitates 

 Zoologicse, vi,' 1899, 165, 166) concerning these two genera, which seem to me to be 

 clearly distinct, each showing nearly the same extreme variations in the size and 

 relative length and thickness of the bill. 



