AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES Published by Number 1066 the AMERICAN MUSEUM of NATURAL HISTORY May 3, 1940 New York City
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES Published by Number 1066 THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY May 3, 1940 New York City STUDIES OF PERUVIAN BIRDS. NO. XXXIV1 THE GENERA TODIROSTRUM, EUSCARTHMORNIS, SNETHLAGEA, POECILO- TRICCUS, LOPHOTRICCUS, MYIORNIS, PSEUDOTRICCUS, AND HEMITRICCUS BY JOHN T. ZIMMER Acknowledgments are made to Mr. differ from each other as well as from the W. E. C. Todd of the Carnegie Museum, type of chrysocrotaphum but it is possible Pittsburgh, Mr. Rudyerd Boulton of that all three belong together as represent- Field Museum of Natural History, Chi- ing three extremes of individual variation cago, Mr. Rudolph de Schauensee and in a single form. At any rate, I am not Mr. James Bond of the Academy of prepared to say that the differences have Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, and Dr. any other significance. Alexander Wetmore and Dr. Herbert Strickland's illustration of the type, as Friedmann of the U. S. National Museum, well as his description, is relatively accurate Washington, D. C., for comparative ma- with regard to general pattern and par- terial generously lent from the collections ticularly informative with regard to the under their charge. My thanks also are anterior extension of the yellow super- due to Dr. C. E. Hellmayr for compara- ciliary stripe over the eye to meet the white tive notes on certain specimens in Euro- loral spot. Both figure and description pean museums which have been of great fail to take notice of a number of fine assistance in the present study. dusky dots on the sides of the throat and As in previous papers in this series, names breast, very inconspicuous and easily over- of colors are capitalized when direct com- looked although they are relatively larger parison has been made with Ridgway's on the sides of the breast. A few feathers "Color Standards and Color Nomen- across the chest show dark centers that are clature." concealed by the tips of the feathers and there is some molt in progress in this whole Todirostrum chrysocrotaphum area with indications that some of the in- chrysocrotaphum Strickland coming feathers would have dark central Todirostrum chrysocrotaphum STRICKLAND, spots. It is safe to assume, therefore, 1850, Contr. Orn., p. 48-6, P1. XLIX, upper fig.- that the type represents a form with a white Perd; Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. loral spot, a full yellow superciliary stripe, The type of this interesting form, a narrow whitish chin but- with the yellow kindly lent to me by Mr. de Schauensee, of the malar region almost if not quite cannot be matched exactly by any speci- touching the base of the bill, and with a men that I have examined and hence I necklace of dark spots, nearly obsolete am not prepared to suggest a restricted in the type, passing down the malar region type locality for it. Judging by the and across the chest. The blue-black of material at hand, however, I believe that the cap covers the occiput broadly and ex- the type probably came from some locality tends over part of the hind neck, being in extreme northern Peri, in the neighbor- separated from the yellowish green back hood of the Marafn6n, or not far from it. by a poorly marked collar of more yellow- I have two north-Peruvian specimens that ish color. A fine male from Rio Seco, west of 1 Previous numbers in this series comprise Ameri- can Museum Novitates Nos. 500, 509, 523, 524, 538, Moyobamba, has the back but little less 545, 558, 584, 646, 647, 668, 703, 728, 753, 756, 757, brightly yellowish than in neglectum of 785, 819, 860, 861, 862, 889, 893, 894, 917, 930, 962, 963, 994, 1042, 1043, 1044, and 1045. central and southern Peru and has the white 2 AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES [No. 1066 loral spot very much reduced in size but Teff6 birds do not represent the most still apparent and all but touching the base heavily spotted extreme of chrysocrota- of the yellow superciliary stripe, but the phum. The connection of the range be- necklace of black dots is quite pronounced tween Teff6 and Rio Seco is uncertain. though very much weaker than that of It appears that neglectum is found on the T. c. guttatum of the Rio Negro, Brazil. Ucayali as far downstream as Sarayacu A male from the "Rio Cenipa" (Cinipa), but it is quite possible that chrysocrota- north of the Marafi6n, is greener on the phum crosses the mouth of the river. back, like the type, and has the malar Future collections in the region will be portion of the necklace well-developed but necessary to determine the point. For that across the chest all but obsolete. the present, however, I prefer to consider The white loral patch is well developed, the Teff6 birds as belonging to the typical narrowly meeting the yellow superciliary subspecies. stripe. I have two specimens of guttatum, one Two adult skins from Teff6 are not from the Rio Negro, Brazil, and one from certainly distinct from the Peruvian skins. the western bank of the Cassiquiare, Vene- One of them, a female, is a little more zuela. Both agree in distinction from the broadly marked on the necklace than the Teff6 birds by being darker green above, Rio Seco specimen, about as heavily as the about like illigeri, and even more heavily Rio Cinipa example but with the necklace spotted below, especially the Cassiquiare complete. The second Teff6 bird, a male, bird. The Teffe specimens, therefore, is still more heavily marked though less stand intermediate between the Peruvian than guttatum. An immature female from specimens of chrysocrotaphum and these Teff6 also has the full necklace. All three examples of guttatum. skins from this locality have the white The occurrence of guttatum on the Cas- loral patch separated from the yellow siquiare is of particular interest in view superciliary by only one or two black of the fact that a single specimen from the feathers. foot of Mt. Duida is quite typical pictum, Hlellmayr [1927, Field Mus. Nat. Hist. with white lores and a black-spotted neck- Pubi., 7ool. Ser., XIII (5), p. 295] refers lace but no yellow superciliary stripe, a male from Pebas, Peru, to guttatum but although this is faintly suggested in several this assignment may need examination in specimens by traces of pale grayish mar- the light of the present discussion. gins on the feathers of the supra-auricular One other possibility remains. The region. Although there are no lengthy white loral spot is not necessarily perfectly series of specimens available to show full definitive. As noted above, the Rio Seco intergradation between pictum and the specimen has a very small one. One members of the chrysocrotaphum group or example of neglectum, which has black with nigriceps, all these forms are exceed- lores, shows a single white feather on one ingly closely related and together form a side in this region. The allied nigriceps, well-defined specific group for which I use which also normally has black lores, oc- a single specific name. casionally shows a well-developed white patch in front of the eye. It is possible, Todirostrum chrysocrotaphum therefore, that the type of chrysocrotaphum neglectum Carriker is an aberrant example of the form recently Todrirostrum (sic) chrysocrotaphum neglec- named neglectum rather than a more normal tum CARRIKER, 1932 (Jan. 21), Proc. Acad. Nat. example of the form to which I have as- Sci. Phila., LXXXIII, p. 460-Huacamayo, Perd; signed it. The relatively dark back and c; Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. the presence of actual, though minute, This form was long misidentified as true pectoral and malar spots argue against this chrysocrotaphum in spite of the absence conception and in favor of the arrangement of the white malar spot which is one of the I have adopted. prominent features of that form. The In any case, I cannot be certain that the yellow superciliary stripe is equally long STUDIES OF PERUVIAN BIRDS. XXXIV 3 in both subspecies, passing above the eye anterior end of the yellow stripe; auriculars, to the upper anterior corner or at least except the yellow upper margin, blue-black, the color extending under the eye to meet the black anteriad of the middle. One specimen of the base of the bill; chin and base of malar from Rosarinho has one white feather on region white; remainder of malar region and the loral region of the left side and there throat Lemon Yellow; breast, sides, and belly are occasional traces of fine black spots on Lemon Yellow tinged with Lemon Chrome; flanks and crissum paler and duller. Remiges the sides of the breast though none in the blackish; outer primary with a minute, buffy malar region. The back is more yellow- yellow outer margin; remaining primaries with ish than in the typical form and the black narrow green borders; secondaries with outer of the cap in most cases is a little less margins broader and yellower, becoming whitish toward the tips of the inner secondaries and on broadly extended posteriorly. the tertials; upper wing-coverts blue-black, the This form ranges to the Chanchamayo median series broadly tipped and the greater Valley in central Peru and apparently down series exteriorly margined with deep yellow the Ucayali as far as Sarayacu, inhabits forming two conspicuous bars; outer primary- coverts with a dull yellow outer margin; under northern Bolivia, and passes down the left wing-coverts light, clear yellow; inner margins bank of the Rio Madeira to near its mouth, of remiges whitish. Tail dusky brown with being recorded also from the upper Rio greenish outer margins and narrow pale tips on Purtis.