ment in Costa Rica, but extends northward to Guatemala, whence northward it gradually passes into M. lawrencei. I have not seen Arizona examples, but would have no hesitation in referring them to olivascens on geographical grounds alone. That I am correct in doing so is strongly indicated by the following quotation from Mr. Brewster's remarks upon nine specimens obtained in the Santa Rita Mountains, in southern Arizona, by Mr. F. Stephens. (Cf. Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, vii, Oct., 1882, p. 205): These show little variation in color or markings, but the females are slightly smaller than the males. The characters which separate M. lawrenciï from its respective allies, M. tristis, of Jamaica, and M. nigricapillus, of Central America, are well maintained in this series." [Cf. Hist. N. Am. B., ii, p. 333.]

In this connection it may be well to give a brief review of the Mexican Myiarchi, from the writer's standpoint, a special study of the subject, based upon the extensive series in the National Museum collection, (including many types,) enabling him to feel pretty sure as to the limits of the respective species.

In the National Museum we have the following:

1. M. crinitus (LINN.) CAB., as a migrant through eastern Mexico.

2. M. mexicanus (KAUP) LAWR.: a. mexicanus, from eastern Mexico, north to the lower Rio Grande Valley, in Texas; b. magister, NOBIS, from western and southwestern Mexico, and north to southern Arizona.

3. M. nuttingi RIDGW., from southwestern Mexico. (Cf. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 5, pp. 394, 395.)

4. M. yucatanensis LAWR. from Merida, Yucatan. (This seems to me to be most nearly related to the Antillean species (M. stolidus, etc). I have carefully examined the type, which is in the National Museum collection, and cannot at all agree to its reference to M. mexicanus.)

5. M. lawrencei (GIRAUD) BAIRD: a. lawrencei, from eastern

Mexico (north to southern Texas?); b. olivascens, NOBIS, from western Mexico, (southern Mexico, and even Yucatan in winter,) and north to southern Arizona.

6. M. flammulatus LAWR., from southwestern Mexico (Tehuantepec to Mazatlan). Several examples of this widely distinct species are in the National Museum collection.

6. Pediœcetes phasianellus campestris, new subspecies.

PRAIRIE SHARP-TAILED GROUSE.

SUBSPECIFIC CHARACTERS.-Differing from P. phasianellus columbianus in rather lighter and much more ochraceous coloration above, with the black bars narrower and less regular, and in having the V-shaped markings of the lower parts much less distinct (never deep black).

Types, Nos. 76,743, & ad., Illinois, and 19,173, 9 ad., Rosebud Creek, Montana Terr.

In the Bulletin of the Nuttall Ornithological Club for October, 1882, p. 233, Mr. Brewster alludes to differences between specimens of the Sharp-tailed Grouse from Fort Walla Walla, Washington Terr., and others from eastern localities, but concludes that the differences noted "probably have only a local significance." This was formerly my opinion also; but many additional specimens subsequently received at the National Museum show conclusively that two very different styles of this bird inhabit the regions west and east of the Rocky Mountains, respectively. P. phasianellus columbianus is represented in the collection by specimens from Washington Territory, Oregon, Northern California, and Nevada, and P. phasianellus campestris by examples from Montana (east of the mountains), Eastern Wyoming and Colorado, Nebraska, Dakota, and Illinois.

P phasianellus campestris is the form described and figured by Audubon, (B. Am., v, p. 112, pl. 298,) under the name Tetrao phasianellus.

7. Lophortyx californicus brunnescens, new subspecies.

BROWN-BACKED VALLEY QUAIL.

SUBSPECIFIC CHARACTERS.-Differing from true L. californicus in much darker coloration, the upper parts being deep olive-brown (almost clove-brown) instead of grayish olive, the stripes along inner edge of tertial deep ochraceous instead of pale buff, and the elongated feathers of the sides deep olive-brown instead of grayish olive. Hab. Pacific coast, from San Francisco Bay north to Washington Territory.

South of San Francisco, this strongly-marked race appears to be replaced by the typical L californicus; at least, specimens in the National Museum collection from San José and Sta. Barbara are of the paler form. It is true that Audubon describes and figures the dark race, and says that the male, from which his description and figure of that sex are taken, was "procured on the 6th of March, 1837, near Santa Barbara," but it is well known that the localities ascribed to Townsend's specimens were, in many cases, erroneous; and, since he made collections near the mouth of the Columbia River, it is very likely that the specimen in question came from the latter locality.

It is possible that this race may have already been named, since there are some points in the Ortyx douglassi Vigors, (Zool. Jour., iv, 1829, 354; Zool. Voy. Blossom, 1839, 27, pl. 11,) which strongly suggest the female or full-grown young. There are, however, so many features, both in the description and figure, which cannot be reconciled with the present bird that their actual identity is, to say the least, very doubtful.

Types, Nos. 2,829, 8, "Santa Barbara, California," and 2,830, , locality unknown; both types of Audubon's description and plate of" Ortix californica."

8. Phalacrocorax dilophus albociliatus, new subspecies.

LESSER WHITE-CRESTED CORMORANT.

Phalacrocorax dilophus albociliatus RIDGW., Cat. Aquat. and Fish-eating Birds, 1883, p. 27; no description.

SUBSPECIFIC CHARACTERS.-Similar to P. dilophus floridanus, but with the nuptial plumes pure white, instead of black. Similar in coloration to P. dilophus cincinnatus, but much smaller. Hab. Pacific coast of United States, from California (Farallone Islands) to Cape St. Lucas; Revillegigedo Islands, Western Mexico.

This is the small southern form of cincinnatus, being, like the latter, distinguished by its white nuptial tufts, but differs in its much smaller size, in which respect it agrees closely with floridanus. P. dilophus thus may be separated into four races, the two southern ones (floridanus and albociliatus) distinguished from their northern representatives (dilophus and cincinnatus) by smaller size alone, while the western forms (cincinnatus and albociliatus) appear to differ from the eastern ones only in the color of the nuptial tufts, which seem to be always white or much mixed with white, instead of black with little or no admixture of white.

DESCRIPTION OF A NEW AMERICAN KINGFISHER. BY ROBERT RIDGWAY.

Read February 23, 1884, and published by permission of the Director of the U. S. National Museum.

Ceryle superciliosa stictoptera, new subspecies.

?Chloroceryle superciliosa SCL., P. Z. S., 1864, 176, (City of Mexico.) Ceryle superciliosa LAWR., Ann. Lyc., N. Y., ix, 1869, 204, (Sisal, Yucatan).— (?) Id., Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. No. 4, 1876, 3, (Isth. Tehuantepec).—(?) SUMICH., Mem. Bost. Soc., i, 1869, 560, (hot reg. of Vera Cruz).—(?) Bouc., Liste Ois, réc. Guat. (in Ann. Soc. Linn. Lyon), 1878, 26.

HABITAT.-Yucatan; also, presumably, other parts of Southern Mexico and Guatemala. (NOTE. The references given above, which are preceded by a mark of interrogation, are so designated for the reason that specimens from the localities indicated have not been examined.)

SUBSPECIFIC CHARACTERS.—Similar to C. superciliosa, but outer webs of secondaries conspicuously spotted with white (in three transverse rows), and with the white on the rectrices much more extended.

Of C. superciliosa (vera), the Museum possesses specimens from Demerara, Trinidad, Isthmus of Panama, and Costa Rica.

These all have the outer webs of the secondaries either entirely immaculate, or else marked with very minute specks of dull fulvous. These markings are wanting in the two Demerara examples, are barely indicated in two from the isthmus, and are rather distinct (though still deep fulvous in color) in the one from Costa Rica— rendering it, therefore, probable that specimens from intermediate points might complete the transition from one to the other. It should be remarked, however, that the Costa Rican example (No. 64,666) is much more like South American skins than those from Yucatan, upon which the new race (possibly species) is based.

Types, Nos. 39,297, 3, and 39,206, 9, Sisal, Yucatan, May, 1865; Dr. A. Schott.

NOTE ON PSALTRIPARUS GRINDÆ, BELDING.
BY ROBERT RIDGWAY.

(Read February 23, 1884.)

In my description of this species, on p. 155, vol. 6, of the Proceedings of the United States National Museum, I inadvertently made an erroneous comparison between this species and P. melanotis, as follows: "From the latter [P. plumbeus] it differs in much whiter throat and decidedly clearer, more bluish, shade of the upper parts, in both of which respects there is a close resemblance to P. melanotis." I wrote from memory, not having a specimen of P. melanotis before me at the time. Upon actual comparison I now find that while the statement is essentially correct so far as the coloration of the lower parts is concerned, I was greatly in error regarding the coloration of the upper parts. The difference is very great, P. melanotis having the pileum and nape fine light plumbeous-gray, exactly like the back of P. grinda, while the back, etc., are bright brownish drab, much like the pileum and nape of P. grindæ, only more olivaceous. The relative position of the two colors is, in fact, exactly reversed in the two species.