354 JTEINGILLID^. 



4. Spermophila anrita. 



Spermophila aurita, Bp. Consp. Av. i. p. 497 * ; Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. vii, p. 333 " ; Scl. Ibis, 1871, 



p. 14,t. 2. f. 1, 2'. 

 Sporophila hoffmannii, Cab. J, f. Orn. 1861, p. 6*. 

 Spermophila hoffmanni, Frantz. J. f. Orn. 1869, p. 301 '. 

 Spermophila lineata, Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. vii. p. 474 °. 

 Spermophila semicollaris, Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. viii. p. 10'; Scl. & Salv. P. Z. S. 1864, p. 352' j 



Salv. P. Z. S. 1867, p. 141', 1870, p. 189". 

 Spermophila hicksi, Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. viii. p. 171". 

 Spermophila fortipes, Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. viii. p. 172'". 

 Spermophila collaris, Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. viii. p. 177". 



Nigra ; speculo alari, plaga utrinque cervicali (iaterdum semitorquem f ormante) et ventre medio albis ; rostro 



nigro, pedibus fuscis. Long, tota 4'0, alse 2'1, caudse 1"9, tarsi 0*55. 

 $ olivacea, alls caudaque obscurioribus, dorsi colore Hmbatis, subtus dUutior, flavioans, tectrioibus subalaribus 

 albis. (Descr. maris et feminse ex Lion HiU, Panama. Mus. nostr.) 



Eab. Costa Hica (Hoffmann^ v. Frantzius^) ; Panama ^^ {^HicJcs^^), Volcan deChiriqui, 

 Bugaba ^^ (ArcS), David (Hicks ^^), Mina de Chorcha, Chitra, Calovevora, Santa 

 Fe 9 (ArcS), Lion Hill (M^Leannan 2 6 7 8^^ Paraiso Station (Hughes), Obispo Station 

 (0. S.), Panama city (Hicks ^^). 



When Mr. Sclater compiled his Monograph of the genus Spermophila in 1871, he 

 had the types of all the four species proposed, under the above names, by Mr. Lavprence 

 before him. We also then had an opportunity of comparing them together, and with 

 a considerable series of our ovpn, and came to the same conclusion as Mr. Sclater, that 

 they all, together vpith S. hoffmanni, belonged to one variable species, thus confirming 

 the doubts expressed concerning them by Salvin the previous year ^^. The point of 

 variation lies in the amount of white on the neck, which in some specimens is confined 

 to a white patch on either side. In others these patches are connected by a band 

 across the throat ; in others the throat-patch alone appears, and in others, again, there 

 is hardly any white at all on the neck. These forms seem connected together by 

 insensible steps, and thus must be considered as varieties of one species. 



The name S. aurita seems applicable to this bird, though the locality, Brazil, given 

 by Bonaparte, its describer, is doubtless erroneous ^- The bird, in fact, hardly passes 

 the limits of the State of Panama, where it is everywhere abundant. Its presence in 

 Costa Rica was proved by specimens sent to the Berlin Museum by Hoffmann ^ ; but we 

 have no examples from that country, nor had Mr. Lawrence at the time of compiling 

 his list of Costa-Rica birds. 



5. Spermophila gutturalis. 



Fringilla gutturalis, Licht. Verz. Doubl. p. 26\ 

 Sporophila gutturalis, Burm. Syst. Ueb. iii. p. 244 '' 



