Sept., 1918 181 



DESCRIPTION OP A NEW SUBSPECIES OF CYANOLAEMUS 



CLEMENCIAE 



By HARRY C. OBERHOLSER 



EXAMINATION of the series of Cyanolaemus clemenciae in the Biological 

 Survey collection some time since disclosed the existence of a hitherto un- 

 recognized subspecies. Further comparison with the other material in the 

 United States National Museum now confirms the distinction first noted, which, 

 it is but fair to state, Mr. Outram Bangs had independently discovered. Learn- 

 ing, however, of the present writer's investigations, he courteously volunteered 

 to relinquish his claim. Since the northern race of this species proves to be with- 

 out a name, it may be called 



Cyanolaemus clemenciae bessophilus, subsp. no v. 

 Chars, subsp. — Similar to Cyanolaemus clemenciae clemenciae, but bill shorter; 

 male with upper parts duller, particularly on the rump, which is more washed with gray- 

 ish; lower surface decidedly paler; and throat duller. Female duller above and paler 

 below than the female of Cyanolaemus clemenciae clemenciae. 



Description. — Type, adult male, no. 140247, U. S. Nat. Mus.; Fly Park, Chiricahua 

 Mountains, Arizona, June 8, 1894; A. K. Fisher. Pileum brownish olive, with a grayish 

 tinge and a greenish metallic sheen, the forehead lighter; nape and back metallic oil 

 green, the nape anteriorly and the back posteriorly somewhat bronzy; rump and the 

 shorter upper tail-coverts, metallic Saccardo's olive, the feathers tipped narrowly with 

 pale brownish gray; longer upper tail-coverts, and the tail-feathers, bluish black, becom- 

 ing more brownish on the outer rectrices, the two outermost pairs broadly tipped with 

 white; wings, including the greater and primary coverts, chaetura drab, with a purplish 

 sheen; lesser wing-coverts metallic green, like the back; median wing-coverts chaetura 

 drab, edged with dull metallic green, similar to that of the back; a short superciliary 

 stripe dull white; a broad postocular streak, practically continuous with the superciliary 

 stripe, white; sides of head and neck between fuscous and hair-brown, the latter glossed 

 with the metallic green of the back; narrow rictal streak dull white; throat and chin me- 

 tallic blue, between Vanderpoel's blue and Blanc's blue; breast and abdomen rather light 

 brownish gray, the breast washed with metallic greenish, the abdomen lighter and more 

 clearly gray; sides and flanks of the same color, but slightly washed with metallic bronzy 

 greenish; flanks with a small tuft of pure white feathers; under tail-coverts mouse gray, 

 tipped with dull white; axillars dull gray; under wing-coverts dull green like the back, 

 but somewhat duller; edge of the wing narrowly pale brownish white. 



Measurements. — Male: 1 wing, 72-78.5 (average, 76.1) mm.; tail, 44.5-48.5 (45.8); 

 exposed culmen, 21.5-23 (22.2). 



Female:- wing, 69.5 mm.; tail, 41-43.5 (average, 42.3); exposed culmen, 23.5-24.5(24). 

 Geographic distribution. — Southwestern United States and Mexico. Breeds north 

 to the Santa Catalina, Chiricahua, Huachuca, and Santa Rita mountains in southeastern 

 Arizona; the San Luis Mountains in southwestern New Mexico; and the Chisos Moun- 

 tains in central western Texas; and south to the Sierra Madre of the State of Chihua- 

 hua, Mexico. Winters south to southeastern Mexico (Vera Cruz). 



Remarks. — This interesting new subspecies reaches apparently its greatest differ- 

 entiation in Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. Birds from the Chisos Mountains in 

 central western Texas show in some specimens a tendency toward typical Cyanolaemus 

 clemenciae clemenciae, but are decidedly referable to Cyanolaemus clemenciae bessophi- 

 lus. A single male from Guadalupe y Calvo, in the Sierra Madre, Chihuahua, Mexico, is 

 intermediate, but is apparently nearer the northern race. This hummingbird is but a 

 summer resident in the United States, and therefore undoubtedly winters in Mexico. 

 Evidence of this is a specimen from Mirador, Vera Cruz. 



The type locality of Cyanolaemus clemenciae Lesson, 3 as given in the original de- 

 scription, is Mexico, and the bird described is evidently the form breeding in central and 

 southern Mexico. The bird introduced as Trochilus topiltzin by De la Llave 4 refers also 

 to the same race, so that the bird from Arizona is the one entitled to a new name. 



This division of Cyanolaemus clemenciae into two races restricts the distribution 

 of Cyanolaemus clemenciae clemenciae to the area in northeastern, central, and southern 

 Mexico extending north to central Nuevo Leon. Zacatecas, and Durango; west to Jalis- 

 co; south to Michoacan and Oaxaca; and east to Vera Cruz. 



Millimeter measurements of both races are added herewith for purposes of compar- 



1 Ten specimens, from Arizona and New Mexico. 



2 Two specimens, from New Mexico. 



3 Hist. Nat. Ois.-Mouch.. 1829, pp. xlv, 216, pi. LXXX. 



4 Registro Trimestre, II, no. 5, January, 1833, p. 49 (Mexico). 



