136 MNIOTILTIDiE. 



12. Dendrceca decora. (Tab. X. fig. 1.) 



Bendrmca gracite, var. decora, Ridgw. Am. Nat. vii. p. 608'; Baird^ Brew. & Ridgw. N. Am. B. i. 



p. 240 ^ Cones, B. Col. Vail. i. p. 292 ^ 

 Bmdrceca graci(B, Salv. Ibis, 1873, p. 428'; Lawr. Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus. no. 4, p. 16'. 

 Dendrceca decora, Salv. Cat. Striekl. Coll. p. 92 \ 



Supra cinerea, pilei antioi plumis in medio nigris ; alis et cauda fusco-nigris ciaereo limbatis, illis vix pallide 

 cinereo bifasciatis, hujus rectrioibus tribus utrinque externis plaga alba gradatim latius notatis ; superciliis a 

 naribus, cUiis ipsis, macula suboculari et gutture toto Isete flavis ; corpora reliquo lactescenti-albo, bypo- 

 cbondriis cinerasoentibus vik nigro striatis ; rostro nigricante, pedibus corylinis. Long, tota 4, alae 2-2, 

 caudte 1-8, rostri a riotu 0-55, tarsi 0-6. (Descr. exempl. ex Guatemala. Mus. Acad. Cautabr.) 



Hob. Mexico, near Zapotitlan {SumicJirast ^) ; Beitish Honduras, Belize [C. Wood ^ ^), 

 Guatemala (Constancia ^ Mus. Soc. Econ.*). 



Dendrceca decora is a near ally of D. gracice, a species of New Mexico and Arizona 

 discovered some years ago by Dr. Coues. The differences observable betv?een the two 

 birds are slight, and have been treated by American ornithologists as indicating that 

 their possessors are varieties only one of another and not distinct species. This may 

 prove to be the case ; but at present no intermediate links have been discovered blending 

 the two races, nor do we think it very probable that such now exist ; and for this reason 

 we prefer to treat B. decora as distinct. 



Though Z>. gracice has been fully described by the eloquent pen of Dr. Coues ^, nothing 

 is known of its relative beyond the bare record of the capture of specimens. Its presence 

 in Central America was first noticed by Mr. Eidgway, who described Belize specimens 

 obtained by Mr. C. Wood i. About the same time we discovered a stuffed specimen in 

 the Museum of the Sociedad Economica de Guatemala^. But long before (in 1848) 

 these notes were published, the late Senor J. Constancia had sent to Strickland a 

 specimen from Guatemala, which is still in his collection at Cambridge, and is the bird 

 from which our figure has been drawn. 



e'. Gula nigra aut nigro mixta. 

 13. Dendrceca nigrescens. 



Sylvia nigrescens, Towns. Journ. Ac. Phil. vii. p. 191 '. 



Sylvicola nigrescens, Bp. Consp. i. p. 308"; Duges, La Nat. i. p. 141'. 



Dendrceca nigrescens, Scl. P. Z. S. 1858, p. 298*; 1859, p. 374'; Baird, Rev. Am. B. i. p. 186'; 



Sumiclirast, Mem. Bost. Soc. N. H. i. p. 547"; Baird, Brew. & Ridg. N. Am. B. i. p. 258'; 



Coues, B. Col. Vail. i. p. 263 \ 



Supra cinerea, interscapulii et uropygii plumis in medio nigris, capite cum gula nigris; loris flavis, super- 

 cUiis posticis, stria utrinque gulce et abdomine medio albis, hypochondriis nigro striatis ; aHs et Cauda 

 nigricantibus cinereo Umbatis, iUis albo bifasciatis, hujus rectrioibus utrinque tribus externis parte apicali 



