HENICOEHINA.— THEYOPHILUS. 81 



a final resting-place under Tschudi's name. Mexican and Central-American specimens 

 were referred to the allied species H. leucosticta ^ ^ and even to Scytalopus griseicolUs, a 

 member of the Pteroptochidse ^ ^. A new name, Troglodytes guttatus, was also pro- 

 posed for Colombian examples of the same bird ^. Then, again, Prof. Baird at one 

 time 2 ^ considered that there were two recognizable species of this form, which he 

 called Heterorhina leucophrys and H. griseicolUs, the ranges of which overlapped. 

 This view was opposed by Salvin* in 1870; and since then the bird seems to have 

 settled down into the quiet possession of its title. We have now a large series of speci- 

 mens, which prove that the slight amount of variation observable between them cannot 

 be traced to any definite locality. 



Henicorhina leucophrys is, so far as we know, a strictly highland species, being found 

 in Guatemala in upland forests as high as 10,000 feet, but descending as low as 

 4000 feet or perhaps less. It is not uncommon in the forests of the volcanoes, where 

 it takes the place of its near ally H. leucosticta, a lowland form. In Mexico it does 

 not seem to be so well known ; but in writing of H. leucosticta we have no doubt 

 Prof. Sumichrast "^ refers to this species when he speaks of the alpine bird found at 

 Moyoapam at an elevation of 6600 feet. Here he found its nest, which he describes 

 as formed of mosses woven with great skill, the interior being lined with the red 

 feathers from the breast of Trogon meocicanus. The nest was suspended to the branches 

 of a shrub, • and so skilfully disguised as to be easily mistaken for a bunch of moss. 

 Salmon, who obtained its eggs at Frontino, in the Cauca valley of Colombia, describes 

 them as either white or spotted with a few minute red spots *. 



It is somewhat remarkable that this bird, being an inhabitant of highland forests, 

 and whose range is therefore interrupted at several points, should have retained its 

 specific features with such faithfulness. But such is the case ; for* it is quite as constant 

 in its characters as its near congener H. leucosticta, whose lowland and therefore more 

 unbroken range has doubtless assisted to keep it specifically true. 



THRYOPHILUS. 



ThryopMlus, Baird^ Rev. Am. B. i. p. 137 (1864). (Type Thryothorus rufalhus, Lafr.) 



This genus was separated from Thryothorus by Prof. Baird chiefly on account of the 

 difierence it shows in the disposition of the membrane surrounding the nasal opening. 

 In ThryopMlus the nostril is situated at the extremity of the nasal fossa, and is oval 

 in shape, with no membrane or scale overhanging it. The members of the genus thus 

 restricted are larger birds and have considerably longer tails than the species of 

 Henicorhina ; but the two genera are closely allied, having the same form of nostril. 



ThryopMlus contains fourteen or fifteen species, which are spread over a wide area, 

 extending from Western Mexico to South Brazil. The greater part of the species are 



* Solater and Salvin, P. Z. S. 1879, p. 493. 



BIOL. CENTE.-AMBK., Zool., Aves, Vol. 1, April 1880. 11 



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