CAMPTLOEHTNCHUS. 69 



locality has long since been proved to be erroneously ascribed to it, as it has never yet 

 been found further north than Southern Mexico. Here, however, it would appear to 

 be common in the temperate region of the eastern part of the country up to an 

 elevation of 4300 feet, thence spreading to the hot lands of the State of Vera Cruz '^. 

 In Guatemala its distribution is extensive, including the low-lying lands north of 

 Coban, as well as Alotepeque on the frontier of Honduras. In the forests of the 

 Volcan de Fuego and the hills about Duenas it is very common. It is generally found 

 in companies of eight or ten, or even more, which usually keep about the upper 

 branches of the forest-trees. Its cry is loud and incessant, having little resemblance to 

 that of a Wren. Its flight, however, is rather Wren-like. It builds a large loose 

 nest, composed chiefly of dried vegetable matter, including dead flowers, and measuring 

 fifteen inches in depth and twelve in diameter. One we ascended to was in the upper 

 branches of a tree, and had a side entrance near the top. It contained neither eggs 

 nor young, though the old birds passed in and out several times. ' 



In the higher parts of Costa Rica C. zonatus would appear to be just as common as 

 in Guatemala; but it is absent from the intervening country, and further south we 

 have no trace of it. In Colombia a near ally is found in C. zonatoides. 



The young of C. zonatus differs considerably from the adult, having a black head and 

 the under surface without the black spots of the old bird. These differences led Mr. 

 Sclater to describe the young as C. nigriceps and to compare it with the black-headed 

 C. capistratus ^^. The real position of C, nigriceps was shrewdly suspected by Prof. 

 Sumichrast '^ ; and his opinion has since been confirmed by specimens obtained by us, 

 which, though agreeing with the types of C. nigriceps, are imdoubtedly young examples 

 of C. zonatus. 



There is considerable diversity between individual specimens of the adult bird as 

 regards the number of spots on the throat and breast. In some these are much more 

 thickly spread than in others ; but the variation does not seem to be due either to a 

 difference of sex or of locality, but are simply individual peculiarities. 



The iris of C. zonatus in life is cinnamon-red, the maxilla black, the mandible homy, 

 and the feet yellowish olive ^, 



9. Campylorhynchus pallescens. 



Campylorhynchus pallescens, Lafr. Rev. Zool. 1846, p. 93^; Baird, Rev. Am. B. i. p. 101 ^ ; Sumi- 

 chrast, Mem. Bost. Soc. N. H. i. p. 544'. 

 Campylorhynchus megalopterus, Scl. P. Z. S. 1858, p. 298*, 1859, pp. 363 ', 371 ' (nee Lafr.). 



C. zonato aflinis, sed supra grisescentior maculis pallidis transversis latioribus et cauda magis distincte trans- 

 fasciata ; subtus fere omnino griseo-albus, maculis fuseis pauoioribus notatus. Long, tota 6-8, alse 3-4, 

 caudse 3'1, rostri a rictu 0-9, tarsi 1-1. (Descr. exempl. ex Jalapa, Mexico. Mus. nostr.) 



Juv, G. zonato ejusdem setatis similis, sed omnino grisescentior et subtus ventre magis distincte faaciato 

 distinguendus. (Descr. exempl. ex Mexico, Mus. nostr.) 



