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Show 1/6 MR. O. SALVIN ON THE BIRDS O F V E R A G U A . [Mar. 24, into the present list the species concerning which fresh information, whether of distribution or classification, has been acquired. Although the greater number of species recorded in m y former paper are here re-introduced, a considerable addition to our knowledge of their local distribution is made, and our information of the whole subject brought down to the most recent date in a complete form. Since 1867 Arce has had the field to himself, no other naturalist having worked in his immediate district; though in the adjoining country of Costa Rica the Messrs. Carmiol and others have continued their assiduous labours. I have, then, nothing to add to the history of the literature of the birds of Veragua. The birds (of Arce's collecting) described in these Proceedings since 1867 by Mr. Sclater and myself will all be inserted in their places ; so it is unnecessary to enumerate them here. That no small success has attended Arce's labours will be manifest on referring to the total number of species of birds now given as inhabitants of Veragua. Nor are the novelties few or insignificant. The result shows that even the most limited areas of this rich country, when diligently examined, seldom fail to reveal some striking novelty, the existence of which in some cases could have in no way been anticipated, every gap in the distribution of allied forms being apparently filled in. The whole number of new species described since 1867, together with those now given, amounts to nineteen. Their names are as follows:-Thryothorus semibadius, Buthraupis arccei, Pyranga testacea, Tachyphonus nitidissimus, T. chrysomelas, Chlorospingus punctulatus, C. hypopheeus, Grallaria princeps, Lep-totriccus superciliaris, Empidonax atriceps, Chiromacheeris aurantiaca, Antrostomus saturatus, Cheetura fumosa, Lophornis adorabi-lis, Selasphorus torridus, S. ardens, Eupherusa egregia, Chloronerpes simplex, Melanerpes chrysauchen. Besides these nineteen species, five others are now added to the Central-American fauna, viz. Leistes guianensis, Pseudocolaptes boissoneauti, Thamnophilus immaculatus, Stenopsis cayennensis, and Urubitornis solitaria. The genera now first introduced into the Central-American fauna are Buthraupis, Leptotriccus, Leistes, Pseudocolaptes, Stenopsis, and Urubitornis. M y first paper on the birds of Veragua records the occurrence of 216 species of birds in that country*. This number Arce has now exactly doubled, by having transmitted no less than 216 additional species, thus raising the whole number to 432. It is more than probable that this number will be considerably increased ; for in Costa Rica 520 species are recorded as inhabitants of that country, whilst on the Panama Railway-line the number is about 400. Of these 432 species, 113 are not included in the Costa-Rican list, and at least 70 more are found at Panama which have not as yet been recorded from either Veragua or Costa Rica. From these figures we * The actual number is 220, from which 4 (viz. nos. 37, 93, 159, and 20G) must be deducted, tbe species being now otherwise determined. |
