CALLI8TE. 273 



much to extend our knowledge of the bird-fauna of that part of the isthmus, showed us 

 that the range of this species extends to the Cordillera del Chucu, on the confines of 

 the province of Chiriqui. 



Of the habits of Calliste dowi as yet we know nothing. 



The nearest ally of this species appears to be C. nigriviridis, though the presence of 

 an occipital spot suggests an affinity to C. ruficervix of Colombia and Ecuador, and 

 to C. fuMcervix of Bolivia, and with all these birds it must no doubt be grouped. 

 C. dowi, however, has characters of its own, rendering it easily recognizable. 



8. Calliste iuornata. 



Calliste inornata, Gould, P. Z. S. 1855, p. 158'; Scl. P. Z. S. 1856, p. 258 ="; Mon. CaU. p. 103, 

 t. 45'; Cassin, Pr. Ac. Phil. 1860, p. 142*; Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. vii. p. 298'; Scl. & 

 Salv. P. Z. S. 1864, p. 350 ' ; 1879, p. 499 \ 



Supra cinerea, uropygio paulo dilutiore, aUs et cauda nigricanfci-fuscis, humeris Isete cseruleis ; subtus pallide 

 cinerea, ventre albicante, subalaribus albis ; rostro nigro ; pedibus plumbeis. Long, tota 4-7, alse 2-65, 

 candse 1-9, rostri a rictu 0-5, tarsi 0-6. 



5 mari omnino simOis. (Descr. maris et feminse ex Lion HUI, Panama. Mus. nostr.) 



Eab. Panama, Veraguas {Arc^), Panama city {A. H. Markham), Lion-Hill Station 

 {M'Leannan « % Turbo ( Wood 4).— Colombia 1 2 3 7_ 



The true status of this plainly coloured species was questioned for some time ; and it 

 was even suggested that it might be merely the young of Calliste larvata, or the female 

 of that bird*. Mr. Sclater, hesitating as to its true position, placed it at the end of his 

 Monograph of the genus ^. Its describer, Gould, whose judgment in such matters was 

 seldom at fault, always stoutly maintained the plain colours of the bird were its normal 

 adult dress, and that its distinctness from all others was complete. This view has now 

 been proved to be perfectly correct. 



Of C. larvata we have specimens of both sexes carefully dissected, and we find that 

 there is hardly any appreciable difference between them. Of the young, too, of 

 G. larvata we have several examples in moult from their first plumage ; and these, too, 

 differ so much from C. inornata that no question of the identity of the two birds can 

 be maintained for a moment. This, too, is Mr. Lawrence's conclusion 5. 



Gould's type of C. inornata was a skin from one of the ordinary trade collections from 

 Bogota, and in such collections specimens m^y occasionally, but not very commonly, be 

 found. It is probably in the valley of the Magdalena that these specimens are obtained, 

 as we know nothing of the bird from the eastern side of the Andes, and, on the other 

 hand, Salmon found it at Nechi in the State of Antioquia'. Passing northwards, it 

 was met with during Lieut. Michler's expedition*; and at Panama it seems to be more 

 numerous than elsewhere, so far as our present knowledge goes. It has also been 

 included in Arce's collections, made probably in the vicinity of Calobre ; but ou this 

 point we have no exact information. 



BIOL. CENTE.-AMEB., Aves, Vol. I., December 1883. 35 



