Plate VII. 



VIREOLANIUS MELITOPHRYS. 



(HONEY-BKOWED SHEIKELET). 



Vireolanius melitoplirys . . . Dubus, M.S. : Bp. Consp. p. 330. 



. . Sclater, P.Z.S. 1857, p. 213, et 1859, p. 363. 



. Sclater, Cat. Am. B. p. 45. 



. Scl. et Salv. Ibis, 1860, p. 31. 



. Baird, Eev. Am. B. i. p. 396. 



Supra clare olivaceus, pileo et cervice cinereis : superciliis latis et elongatis aureis : striga per oculos et altera 

 rictali angustiore utrinque nigris : subtus pure albus, torque subgutturali et lateribus pectoris, ventrem versus dilu- 

 tioribus, castaneis : rostro nigro, pedibus pallide carneis : long, tota 6 # 0, alae 3*9, cauda3 2*8. 



Hob. in Mexico, Orizaba (Botteri), Jalapa (de Oca) : in Guatemala, Yolcan de Fuego (Salvin). 



This well-marked Slirikelet is the largest, and perhaps the handsomest, of the brilliant 

 group to which it belongs, and is somewhat different from its congeners in style of coloration, 

 looking to the snow-white under-plumage and pectoral band. The first specimens of it brought 

 to Europe were probably those in the Berlin Museum, upon which Lichtenstein placed the 

 MS. name Lanius chrysojplirys, without troubling himself to publish any description of them. 

 The Vicomte Du Bus went a step farther, having had a careful figure made of this bird for a plate 

 (which has never yet been issued) in his "Esquisses Ornithologiques," from a specimen in the 

 Museum at Brussels. He also assigned to it the present appellation, under which it was first 

 made known to science by Prince Charles Bonaparte. 



Judging from the few examples met with among the numerous collections brought to 

 Europe from Mexico of late years, this Vireolanius must be of rare occurrence in that country. 

 Besides the single specimen obtained by Professor Botteri in the neighbourhood of Orizaba and 

 that by De Oca near Jalapa, no other individuals have occurred to us from any part of the 

 Mexican Empire. Nor does it appear to be much more numerous in the southern part of its 

 range. Mr. Salvin only obtained three specimens of this bird during all his journeyings in Gua- 

 temala—and these all in the same locality— namely, near the ranchos of Calderas on the north 

 side of the Volcan de Fuego. In this district in the month of September 1859, he was 

 fortunate enough to witness a specimen of this rare species fall to his own gun. A pair of them 

 were observed, frequenting the outer branches of the ever-green Oaks (Quercus), which consti- 

 tute almost the only forest-tree of that zone of elevation on the Volcano — namely, of from 

 5,000 to 7,000 feet above the sea level— but only one was secured. Mr. Salvin' s two remaining 

 examples were likewise obtained by Indian hunters in the same neighbourhood, so that there 

 can be little doubt that this is essentially a highland form, whereas the rest of the group 

 are believed to be inhabitants of the lower forests. 



The specimen figured is one of those obtained on the Volcan de Fuego, and is now in the 

 collection of Messrs. Salvin and Godman. 



October, 1866. 



[13] 



