Carriker : List of the Birds of Costa Rica. 887 



Costa Rica. Nothing is known of its breeding habits, but doubtless they 

 are similar to those of the Sporophilce. 



720. Sporophila morelleti (Bonaparte). 



S p[ermo phila] morelleti "Pucheran" Bonaparte, Consp. Av., I, 1850, 497 

 (Guatemala; Paris Mus.). 



Spermophila morelleti Lawrence, Ann. Lye. N. Y., IX, 1868, 102 (San Jose 

 [J. Carmiol], Grecia [F. Carmiol]). — Zeledon, Cat. Aves de C. R., 1882, 8. 



Sporophila morelleti Cabanis, Jour, fur Orn., 1861, 4 (Costa Rica; synonymy). 

 — Ridgway, Birds of N. and Mid. Amer., I, 1901, 575 (Valley of Lower Rio 

 Grande, south through eastern Mexico, Guatemala, British Honduras, Hon- 

 duras, to western Costa Rica: San Jose, Grecia, Turrialba, Irazu, Lagarto, 

 Alajuela, Cartago, etc.).— Bangs, Auk, XXIV, 1907, 311 (El Pozo de Terraba 

 [Underwood]). 



Spermophila moreleti Boucard, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1878, 58 (San Jose). — 

 Salvin and Godman, Biol. Centr.-Am., Aves, I, 1885, 352 (San Jose [Hoff- 

 mann and Carmiol], Grecia [Carmiol], Turrialba [Arce], Irazu [Rogers]). — 

 Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., XII, 1888, 123 (same localities as in Biolo- 

 gia). — Cherrie, Expl. Zool. en C. R., 1891-2, 1893, 28 (Lagarto de Terraba). 



Sporophila moreleti Zeledon, An. Mus. Nac. de C. R., I, 1887, 111 (Alajuela, 

 Cartago, and San Jose). — Cherrie, Auk, IX, 1892, 27 (W. Costa Rica; San 

 Jose to Pacific coast). 



U. S. Nat. Museum: Guayabo (Ridgway and Zeledon), Bonilla (Basulto), 

 Santa Maria de Dota (Basulto), Pigres (Zeledon), San Jose (Alfaro) 

 (Cherrie), Irazu, La Estrella, Alajuela. 

 Bangs Collection: Pozo Azul, Irazu, Tenorio, Coralillo, Bolson (Under- 

 wood). 

 C. H. Lankester Collection: Cachi. 



Carnegie Museum: Juan Vinas, Esparta, Boruca (Carriker), Azahar de 

 Cartago, and San Jose (Underwood). Five skins. 

 This is the most widely distributed of the genus in Costa Rica, being 

 present in the northern part of the Caribbean lowlands, up over the central 

 plateau and over the whole of the Pacific slope. However, it is nowhere 

 so abundant in individuals as either 5. corvina or aurita in their respective 

 ranges. Its favorite haunts are roadsides, abandoned fields, waste land, 

 and bushy pastures. I found it fairly common on the "Old Line" from 

 La Junta to Carillo, but more so about Guapiles, where a nest was found 

 beside the railroad track in a clump of tall grass. On July 16 the nest 

 contained two slightly incubated eggs. It was a very frail structure 

 with transparent walls, built of very fine grasses and rootlets. The eggs 

 were pale bluish-white, sparsely speckled and dotted with chestnut-brown, 



