2 6 
Brown on a New Race of Peuccea ruficeps. 
DESCRIPTION OF A NEW RACE OF PE U CPE A 
RUFI CEPS FROM TEXAS. 
BY NATHAN CLIFFORD BROWN. 
Peucaea ruficeps eremceca.* General aspect dull gray. Dorsal 
region grayish-ash, the feathers brownish centrally and with their shafts 
almost black. Top of head rufous, much admixed with grayish. A black 
frontlet, divided at the culmen by a white line, as in rufice / p'& and var. 
boucardi. Breast and sides clear gray. Abdomen whitish. Crissum and 
flanks tinged with fulvous. An indistinct, dusky maxillary stripe. Length 
of fresh specimen, 6.25 ; extent, 8.62 ; wing and tail about 2.75. Sexes 
alike. 
The above description characterizes a bird very unlike Peuccea 
ruficeps both in size and in coloration. It is much larger and en- 
tirely lacks the peculiar rufous tint of the upper parts seen in P. 
ruficeps. Var. boucardi , which is simply a larger race of rufi- 
ceps , the present form therefore resembles only in size and in the 
distribution of its markings. Indeed it is so unlike both described 
races that, but for thorough investigations by Mr. Robert Ridgway 
which fail to justify such a procedure, I should urge the claims of 
the new form to specific rank. Mr. Ridgway has with great 
kindness made a careful comparison of several of my specimens 
with all accessible material bearing upon the matter, and writes 
me that he finds the former insufficiently differentiated from rufi- 
ceps ^ through boucardi , to stand as a species. An interesting 
fact, incidentally brought to light by Mr. Ridgway, is that of the 
few Mexican examples upon which Dr. Sclater based his Zono- 
trichia boucardi , those from Orizaba are apparently referable 
to the race I have named eremoeca . The National Museum pos- 
sesses one of the three original Orizaba skins. 
The specimens above described were taken, during the months 
of Dec., 1879 and Jan., Feb., and March, 1880, at Boerne, Ken- 
dall Co., Texas. Some account of their habits may be found on 
another page of the present number of the Bulletin. 
* Eremoeca — epr)p.os + oiWw. 
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