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Show 68 MR. O. SALVIN ON NEW BIRDS FROM VERAGUA. [Jan. 23 1. CATHARUS GRISEICEPS, sp. n. C. supra olivaceo-brunneus, capite toto cum collo griseis, pileo ob-scuriore: alis externe cinnamomeis, interne fuscis; cauda cinna-momea : subtus cinereus, gutture multopallidiore : ventre medio et crisso albis : rostro aurantiaco, pedibus flavidis. Long, tota 6 poll., alae 3"5, caudae 2"6, tarsi 1*25, rostri a rictu "85. Hab. in Veragua. Obs. Affinis C. melpomence (Cab.), sed capite griseo, etc., facile distinguendus. This species, at once distinguishable from C. melpomene and its allies, bears a closer resemblance to them than to the other greyheaded species, described (P. Z. S. 1864, p. 580) as C. graciliros-tris, which has an entirely black bill and more slender tarsi. In the colour of its back it resembles C. frantzii (Cab. J. f. O. 1860, p. 323), specimens of which are in our collection from Costa Rica and Guatemala. The wings are, however, cinnamon-colour, resembling those of C. melpomene; but the shade is not so dark, nor so pure, being tinged with olivaceous. A specimen marked "male" has a small purely orange-yellow-coloured bill; while a female has a larger bill, the culmen of which, together with the part surrounding the nostrils, is brownish. Both appear to be quite adult. I believe this difference of colour and size to be a constant sexual character in adult species of Catharus, as it is in many of the true Turdi. The character holds in three dissected specimens of C. melpomene before me ; two males have a small yellow bill, and one female a slightly larger bill which is brown above. The bill in all the Turdidce is an uncertain character, being subject to very great variation in size. This species makes the seventh of the genus Catharus found in Central America and Mexico, which district must clearly be considered the metropolis of the genus. Three other species occur in the north-west provinces of South America, viz. C. aurantiirostris, Hartl. (perhaps the same as C. melpomene), C. fuscater, Lafr., and C. maculatus, Scl. This last species appears to be very closely allied to C. dryas (Gould). I have recently compared Dr. Sclater's types of C. maculatus with my specimens of C. dryas from Vera Paz. The contrast of the colouring of the back hardly exists, and the yellow tinge of the breast agrees in specimens of the same sex. I strongly suspect, though I have no dissected specimens to prove it, that in the black-headed group (Malacocichla) of this genus the males are darker than the females. My specimens of C. mexicanus show a marked contrast in depth of colour on both upper and under parts. The following is a list of the known species of Catharus, with the chief references :- (1.) CATHARUS MELPOMENE (Cab.): Mus. Hein. 1850, p. 5; Sclater, P. Z. S. 1859, p. 323 ; Salvin, Ibis, 1860, p. 29; Baird, Rev. Am. Birds, pt. i. p. 7. Hab. Mexico ; Guatemala ; Costa Rica. |
