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THE WILSON JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY • Vol 124. No. 3, September 2012 
monophylelic group formed by Schiffornis. lut- 
niocera, and Laniisoma. The evolutionary rela¬ 
tionships among these three genera were subse¬ 
quently confirmed by Barber and Rice (2007) 
based on a molecular phylogeny of the Tityridae, 
as well as by the more inclusive phylogenetic- 
study of Tello et al. (2009). The clade comprising 
Schiffornis. Lantisonia, and Lanincera was strong¬ 
ly supported by both studies, and was grouped by 
Barber and Rice (2007) under the subfamily 
Laniisominae. These studies suggested that Lani- 
soma and Lanincera were sisters with Schiffornis 
being sister to these two genera. 
Other characters also support recognition of the 
subfamily Laniisominae. There arc some similar¬ 
ities between known nests among Laniisominae 
species, hut these have not been described for all 
species (or even genera), preventing a more 
complete understanding of the evolution of these 
characters. However, available information sug¬ 
gests nests of Lanincera spp. (only that of L. 
hypopyrra is known) and Schiffornis spp. are quite 
similar. Only the nest of Thrush-like Schiffornis 
(Schiffornis turdina ) has been described in detail 
to date, but some data are available for Greenish 
Schiffornis (.S', vires cells). All nests described 
have been characterized basically as large, bulky 
cups of dry leaves (Skulch 1969. Londono and 
Cadena 2003. Snow 2004). However, the nest of 
Laniisoma remains undescribed. The eggs of S. 
turdina are similar to those of L. hypopyrra in 
coloration, but this similarity cannot be interpret¬ 
ed as an indication of evolutionary affinity 
because this character is highly homoplasic 
(Londono and Cadena 2003). 
The juvenile plumages of many neotropical 
bird species are relatively well known. The 
juvenile plumages among species of Tityridae. 
as in the great majority of birds, are inconspicu¬ 
ous. The juvenile, even in Schiffornis. described 
for S. turdina. resembles the adult (Wetmore 
1972, Kirwan and Green 2011). Contrasting with 
this general pattern we describe the colorful 
juvenile plumages of Lanincera hypopyrra and 
Laniisoma elegant, compare them with other 
species of Tityridae, and discuss their evolution¬ 
ary and ecological significance. 
METHODS 
The description of the juvenile plumage of 
Laniocera hypopyrra is based on a specimen 
collected on 6 September 2002 by FMH in the 
understory ol a disturbed terra finite forest, at 
Igarape Mutum, Juruti. Parii. east Amazonian 
Brazil (02 36' S. 56 13' W). The specimen 
(Frontispiece. Fig. I) is housed at the Museu 
Paraense Emilio Gocldi Belem. Brazil (MPEG 
56.746). We describe the previously unknown 
juvenile plumage of Laniisoma e. elegons, based 
on an observation by Jeremy C. Minns (in litt. to 
GMK, May 2008) in the Atlantic Forest at the 
Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar. Nucleo Santa 
Virginia, Silo Luiz do Paraitinga, Sao Paulo 
(23 23' S. 45 08’ W). southeast Brazil, on 30 
December 1997. We also recapitulate a descrip¬ 
tion of the nestling (pilllus) of L. e. buckleyi . 
based on the two syntypes (Figs. 2. 3) of this 
taxon at The Natural History Museum. Tring, 
UK (BMNH 1888.1.20.337 and BMNH 
1888.1.20.338). both of which were collected by 
Clarence Buckley at Pindo. Ecuador, and de¬ 
scribed by P. L. Sclater to illustrate plumage 
progression in Laniisoma. Pindo is an untraced 
locality, speculated by Paynter (1992) to be the 
Rio Pindo (03 50' S. 79 45' W) in Pastaza. This 
remarkable plumage also was illustrated in Sclater 
and Salvin (1880: plate 16) and Snow (1982:34. 
plate 2). 
RESULTS 
Laniocera hypopyrra. —The L. hypopyrra spec¬ 
imen (MPEG 56.746) possesses typical adult 
flight feathers: the remiges and rectrices being 
primarily gray, while the median and greater 
wing-coverts, tertials. and rectrices are adorned 
with pale cinnamon spots on their tips. The entire 
body, except for the flight feathers, is covered by 
bright orange feathers with black terminal >pots 
(Fig. I). while the head is covered by a crest also 
formed of orange feathers with black terminal 
spots. A remarkable feature of the crest is the 
feathers in which there are distal extensions, 
composed by up to six orange filaments 15 to 
22 mm long, possessing white distal and proximal 
portions (Frontispiece. Fig. 1). The crest, includ¬ 
ing these filaments, reaches 40 to 48 mm. The 
same structure is exhibited by some of the dorsal 
feathers. Subadults (and juveniles) of L. hypo¬ 
pyrra exhibit a few. irregular, bright orange 
feathers with black terminal spots in a seemingly 
random fashion across their underpans, as well as 
parts of the upperparts. especially when younger 
(Kirwan and Green 2011). 
Laniisoma elegans. —The two syntypes of L. c. 
buckleyi are basically identical to each other. 
They are very similar to L. hypopyrra in some 
