TACHTPHONIJS. 309 



by crimson superciliaries, T. chrysomelas, again, is chiefly yellow, the prevailing black 

 colour of the other species being here confined to the middle of the back, the wings, 

 and tail. 



The females of all the species differ widely in colour from the males. 



In the following arrangement we have adhered to the plan sketched out in ' Exotic 

 Ornithology' (p. 68), where the species are divided into crested and non-crested groups. 

 This arrangement is somewhat arbitrary ; but the species can readily be distinguished 

 by it. 



A. Vertex haud cristatus. 

 a. Uropygium dorso concolor. 

 1. Tachyphonus melaleucus. 



Oriolus melaleucus, Sparrm. Mus. Carls, t. 31 \ 



Tachyphonus melaleucus, Scl. P. Z. S. 1856, p. 113'; Scl. & Salv. P. Z. S. 1864, p. 351 'j 1867, 



p. 571 ^ 1868, p. 167 ^ 1879, p. 503°; Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. vii. p. 331''; Pelz. Om. 



Bras. p. 212'; Finsch, P. Z. S. 1870, p. 582'; Zeledon, Cat. Av. de Costa Rica, p. 7'°. 

 Tanagra rufa, Bodd. Tabl. PL Enl. p. 44 ". 

 Oriolus leucojpterus, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 392^'. 

 Tanagra nigerrima, Grm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 899^'. 

 Tachyphonus nigerrimus, Cab. in Schomb. Eeise n. Guiana, iii. p. 669"; Burm. Syst. Ueb. iii. 



p. 166'=. 

 Tachyphonus beauperthuyi, Bp. Compt. Rend, xxxii. p. 82 '". 



Sericeo-niger, humeris et subalaribus albis, rostro nigro, pedibus obscure fuscis. Long, tota 7'0, alse 3'3, caudae 



3'3, rostri a rictu O-S, tarsi 0-8. 

 5 ferruginea, subtus paulo dilutior. (Descr. maris et feminse ex Panama. Mus. nostr.) 



Eah. Costa Eica {Zeledon ^^, Van Patten) ; Panama, Veraguas (Arce), line of railway 

 (M'Leannan ^ '', Arce), Obispo {0. S.). — Colombia ^ ^■, Venezuela ^ i^ and Trinidad ^; 

 Guiana ^ ^^ ; Lower Amazons ^ ; Brazil. 



We can see no difi'erence in birds from different parts of the wide area indicated 

 above, except that those from the north-western portion of the range of the species. 

 Central America and Colombia, are rather smaller than those from Guiana and Brazil ; 

 but the difference is immaterial. 



The first description given of this well-known species is that by Sparrman, who also 

 figured it in his ' Museum Carlsonianum 'i. This description and figure were either 

 overlooked or ignored until Mr. Sclater installed Sparrman's name in its rightful position 

 in 1856 2. T. melaleucus was also figured by Daubenton in the ' Planches Enluminees,' 

 and thus received names both from Boddaert and Gmelin, those of the latter author 

 being usually adopted by writers prior to 1856. Bonaparte also described the Vene- 

 zuelan bird under the title of T. beauperthuyi ; but we can see no really tangible grounds 

 for their separation. 



