NONNULA CINERACEA. 



THE ASHY NUNLET. 

 PLATE XLV. Fig. 2. 



Nonnula cineracea, Sclater, P. Z. S. 1881, p. 778. 



Suprk cineracea, dorso^ alis extus et cauda obscurioribus ; loris et ciliis oculorum albis ; subtus pallide fulva, 

 ventre crissoque albis ; subalaribus et remigum marginibus internis pallide cinnamomeis ; rostro 

 obscure plumbeo, ad basin flavicante; pedibus plumbeis : long, tota 5'0, alse 2*6^ caudse 2"1, rostri 

 a rictu 1*0. 



Hab. in Amazonia superiore. 



Obs. Species N. rubeculce proxima, sed colore dorsi cineraceo, et pectoris valde dilutiore distinguenda. 



A SINGLE specimen of this species in the British Museum is marked Nonnula frontalis in the 

 handwriting of the late Mr. G. R. Gray. I do not, however, consider it can possibly be 

 referred to that species. The skin in question was received from Mr. Bates through Mr. S. 

 Stevens in 1853, and, as Mr. Bates has kindly informed me, was one of a series obtained by him 

 at Ega from a French collector who had been up the Rio Javari. It is labelled " Iris chatain, 

 bee bleu." 



It is always somewhat hazardous to base a species upon a single example ; but on the whole 

 I think there can be little doubt that in this case it is the only course to be followed. The alter- 

 native is to consider the typical specimen of N. cineracea an aberrant example of N. rubecula ; 

 but, passing over the points of difference mentioned above, it must be recollected that N. rubecula 

 is not known to occur at all in the Upper-Amazonian district, and that, besides, there are 

 numerous instances of Lower-Amazonian forms being replaced in Upper Amazonia by distinct 

 representative species. In the present instance I have little doubt that it is a case of this sort 

 with which we are dealing, and that future researches in the forests of Eastern Peru will confirm 

 the distinctness of this finer and larger form of N. rubecula. 



N. cineracea, I may remark, is the only species of the family Bucconidae of which neither 

 my own collection nor that of my friends Messrs. Salvin and Godman can furnish a specimen. 

 My figure is therefore taken from the typical and unique example in the British Museum. 



