CALLISTE VENUSTA. 



THE YELLOW-CROWNED TANAGER. 



PLATE XLIV. Fig. 2. 



Callistexanthocephala.. Sclater, Contr. Orn. 1851, p. 58; P. Z. S. 1854, 

 p. 115. 



CalUste venusta Sclater, P. Z. S. 1854, p. 248, 1855, p. 158, et 



1856, p. 264 ; Syn. Av. Tan. p. 90. 



Mas adultus. Clare cssrulescenti-viridis, interscapulii, alarum et 

 caudae pennis nigris eodem viridi limbatis : fronte, loris, gula 

 summa et cervice postica nigris : pileo et capitis lateribus 

 flavis : ventre medio crissoque pallide ochraceis : rostro nigro : 

 pedibus brunneis : long.tota 4*5, alse 2-5, caudae 1-5 poll. Angl. 



Specimens of this pretty Tanager have been in my possession for 

 several years, and, until I saw and examined the type of Tschudi's 

 Callospiza xanthocephala, in the collection of the Gymnasium at 

 Neuchatel, as I have already mentioned, I always regarded it as be- 

 longing to that species. I was certainly not singular in my error, as 

 there are specimens of it in several museums marked with Tschudi's 

 appellation : this is the case even at Berlin, where, if at any place, 

 Tschudi's types ought to be well understood. When I discovered my 

 mistake, I renamed the present bird " venusta." Its native country is 

 the interior of New Grenada, whence specimens are occasionally sent 

 in collections from Bogota — not however so commonly as is the case 

 with many other species of this genus. I think it probably comes 

 from the valleys on the south-eastern slope of the New-Grenadian 

 Andes, because it is also received from the Upper Rio Napo, in the 

 neighbouring republic of Ecuador, and, as far as we know hitherto, 

 the same species of Passeres rarely, if ever, occur on both sides of 

 the main range. 



The only bird much resembling the present CalUste in appearance 

 is the preceding species, from which, however, the uniform vellow 

 colouring of the head is alone sufficient to distinguish it. This will 

 be seen at a glance by referring to the plate whereon both are depicted. 



H 



