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Show 1869.] MR. P. L. SCLATER O N THE BIRDS OF LIMA. 147 Professor Baird is probably right in recognizing in the species have hitherto called Camp, megalopterus the true C. pallescens of Lafresnaye. I therefore adopt his suggested name for the present species, which I had at one time supposed to be Lafresnaye's C. pallescens, and at another time to be his C. zonatoides. Mr. Nation sends one young specimen, agreeing with a skin of Fraser's from Babahoyo in m y collection. 2. PHEUCTICUS CHRYSOGASTER (Less.). An adult male of this species. It is a close ally of P. aureiventris (Lafr. et D'Orb.), but easily separable in the adult, although I am not yet prepared to say this is always the case in immaturity. 3. NEORHYNCHUS NASESUS. (Plate XII.) Callirhynchus masesus, Bp. C. R. xiii. p. 822. " This rare and singular Finch is a summer visitor; it arrives about the end of November, and leaves about the beginning of May. Its favourite haunts are clumps of tall willow trees, in the vicinity of water. Rarely more than one or two individuals frequent the same clump. During the day it conceals itself in the densest foliage of the trees, utters at intervals a whistling note, not unlike the call-note of Cardinalis virginialis ; when disturbed, it glides from branch to branch and from tree to tree; and it is so shy and recluse that it requires great caution and perseverance to procure even a glimpse of it. It feeds on the seeds of grasses that grow in wet shady places • in the stomach of one example I found unripe Indian corn and bits of a substance that resembled egg*shells. " The upper mandible of this species, when perfect, greatly curves over the lower, as in some of the Psittacidee ; but the tip, being weak, is very often broken or worn away. " In March 1867 I picked up a young bird that had escaped from the nest before it could fly; it is now living in a cage along with some Spermophili."-W. N. Mr. Nation has forwarded a single skin of this bird, which is the first specimen that has come under m y notice of this rare species. It agrees with the late Prince Bonaparte's short description of his Callirhynchus nasesus* sufficiently well to prevent m y describing it as a new species. Lesson's term Callirhynchus having been previously employed for a well-known genus of fishes, I propose Neorhynchus in its place. 4. SPERMOPHILA TELASCO, Lesson; Sclater, P. Z. S. 1867, p. 341. A young pair of this Finch, of which Mr. Nation had previously sent specimens. 5. STURNELLA BELLICOSA, De Filippi; Sclater, C. A. B. p. 128. Examples of both sexes of this species. * This name is printed in the C. R. masesus. I suppose this may be a misprint for nasesus-in allusion to the worn tip of the upper mandible.-P. L. S. |
