TACHYPHONUS. — CHLOEOSPESTGITS. 31 3 



itenti-niger, crista rufo-aurantiaea, teotrioibus alarum minoribus et subalaribus albis ; rostro nigro, mandibulse 



basi albicaute, pedibiis fuscis. Long, tota 5-5, alse 2-7, caudae 2-5, rostri a rictu 0-6, tarsi 0-7. 

 $ olivacea subtus flavescentior ; alis et cauda fuscis extus olivaeeo limbatis, subalaribus albis. (Descr. maris 

 et feminse ex Bugaba, Panama. Mus. nostr.) 



Hob. Costa Eica, Valza (Carmiol), Irazu (Zeledon^); Angostura (Carmiol^); Panama, 

 Bugaba ^, Vivala (Arce). 



This is a very distinct species, which at first sight might be mistaken for T. luctuosus, 

 the black plumage and white wing-coverts as well as the size being much as in that 

 species. The rufous-orange crest, however, at once distinguishes it from T. Inctuosus, 

 and recalls T. delattrii, which again has duller plumage and no white on the wing. 



T. nitidissimus was discovered by Arce in the neighbourhood of Chiriqui, where it 

 would appear to be not uncommon. His collections contained examples of both sexes, 

 as well as young males in transition plumage. A bird in the latter dress, which was 

 obtained during the late Prof. Gabb's expedition to Talamanca in Costa Eica, was subse- 

 quently described by Mr. Lawrence as Chlorospingus axillaris ^. We have never seen 

 an adult male from so far north ; but Salvin examined Mr. Lawrence's type in 1874 and 

 recognized it as being T. nitidissimus ^. 



Cassin seems to have had specimens of this species before him when writing his notes 

 on " Conirostral Birds from Costa Eica " ^, as he speaks of nearly all the males of the 

 bird he calls Tachyphonus luctuosus having a concealed but well-defined coronal spot of 

 pale yellow. 



[Note. — ^A species of Tachyphonus apparently allied tc T. melaleucus was described 

 by J. and E. Verreaux (Eev. Zool. 1855, p. 351) from "Central America" as Pyrrota 

 valerii. It was placed by Mr. Sclater (P. Z. S. 1856, p. 114) next to T. melaleucus, which 

 it resembles, except that the wings are wholly black. We have not yet met with a 

 bird answering to this description. 



Tachyphonus lacrymosus, puBus (=Poecilothraupis lunulata) is stated by Bonaparte 

 (Consp. i. p. 237) to be found in Mexico ; but this is clearly an error.] 



CHLOEOSPINGUS. 



CMorospingus, Cabanis, Mus. Hein. i. p. 139 (1851). (Type C. leucophrys, Cab.= C. ophthalmicus 

 (DuBus)). 



The researches of recent travellers in the mountainous countries of Western South 

 America have added greatly to our knowledge of the extent of this genus, so that it 

 now musters some twenty-six or twenty-seven species. All of these appear to affect 

 forests situated at some considerable elevation above the level of the sea. Thus C.post- 

 ocularis, with which we are most familiar, is found in forests lying between 5000 and 

 10,000 feet. 



BIOL. CBNTE.-AMER., Aves, Vol. L, February 1884. 



