Carriker : List of the Birds of Costa Rica. 527 



U. S. Nat. Museum : Rio Turubales, San Jose, Pigres, Monte Redondo 

 (Ridgway); San Jose (Cherrie); Bebedero and Escazu (Under- 

 wood); Bonilla (Zeledon). 

 Bangs Collection: San Jose, San Pedro del Mojon, and Escazu (Un- 

 derwood). 

 Carnegie Museum : Escazu, La Hondura, Miravalles, Bagaces, Bebe- 

 dero, Esparta (Carriker). Thirty-four skins. 



This species ranges over the whole of the central and northern por- 

 tion of the plateau region, down to about 2,000 feet above sea-level 

 (occasionally) on the Caribbean slope and over the whole of the 

 Pacific slope and lowlands from the mouth of the Rio Grande de 

 Tarcoles northward to Nicaragua. I did not see it in the Terraba 

 Valley nor are there any records for it at Pozo Azul de Pirris. 



Like all the Costa Rican species of the genus, this bird frequents the 

 open, seldom, if ever, penetrating any distance into the forest, and 

 when it does so it is only in open woodland. It is more often seen in 

 isolated clumps of trees, shrubbery, etc. It is also very fond of the 

 blossoms of the " Guava " tree. I found it to be most abundant at 

 Esparta and Miravalles. 



242. Saucerottia cyanifrons alfaroana (Underwood). 



Amazilia alfaroana Underwood, Ibis, 1896, 441 (Volcan de Miravalles). 

 Saucerottia alfaroana Hartert, Tierr., 1900, 53 (Volcan de Miravalles). 



While discussing the status of several species of hummingbirds with 

 Mr. Bangs, he showed me a letter from M. Eugene Simon in which 

 he stated that he had seen the type of Amazilia alfaroana Underwood 

 at the British Museum and that the bird had been poorly described, in 

 fact it had been compared with Saucerottia sophio? while it was most 

 nearly related to S. cyanifrons of Colombia, from which it differed but 

 slightly. 



He wrote as follows : " j'ai etudie au British Museum le type unique. 

 II a ete mal decrit par Underwood et Salvin, car il est tres voisin de 

 S. cyanifrons Bourc. et Muls., sans doute une forme septentrionelle de 

 cette espece." 



Wishing further particulars in the matter I wrote to M. Simon re- 

 questing additional information concerning the type, if he could give 

 it to me, and received the following reply: " C'est a tort que O. Sal- 

 vin a compare cet oiseau a S. sophice car il est beaucoup plus voisin 

 de S. cyanifrons. II se differe cependant par la tete d' un bleu ver- 



