Atticora cyanoleuca, var. montana, Baird, Review Amor. B. p. 310 (1865) ; Lawr.
Ann. Lyc. N. Y. ix. p. 96 (1868); v. Fi*antzius, J. f. 0 . 1869, p. 294 ; Boncard,
P. Z. S. 1878, p. 67.
A . su b tu s a lb a : su p rà iud ig o tic a .
Hab. iu reg io n e N e o tro p ic à ferè to tà .
A d u lt. G en e ra l c o lo u r above glossy b lu e , tb e fe a th e rs o f th e b in d ne ck slig h tly m o ttle d , w ith w hite bases
to th e fe a th e r s ; sc ap u la rs, le sse r a u d m edian win g -co v e rts lik e tb e b a c k ; b a s ta rd -w in g , p rim a ry -
co v c rts, a u d q uills b la ck , e x te rn a lly glossed w ith d u ll b lu e ; ta il-fe a th e rs b la c k ish j lores, fe a th e rs
below tb e eye, a n d e a r-co v e rts b la ck ; che cks a u d u n d e r su rfa c e o f b ody p u re w h ite , th e sides o f
th e u c ck glossy b lu e , de sc en d in g iu a h a lf-e re sc eu t ou th e sides o f th e c lie st ; sides o f bod y aud
flanks b row n , w ith a p a tch o f s ilk y w h ite fe a th e rs o u th e sides o f th e lowe r b a c k ; th ig h s bla ckish
b row u ; u n d e r ta il-c o v e rts b la ck glossed w ith b lu e ; axilla rie s a n d u u d e r w iug-cove rts smoky
b rowu, th e coverts n e a r tlie edge o f tb e w ing edged w ith Avbite : “ b ill b la ck ; legs d a rk browu ;
iris d a rk ” {Neuwied). T o ta l le n g th 4 '7 iu ch e s , cu lm en 0 '2 ò , wing 4 '0 5 , ta il 2 '2 , ta r su s 0 '4 5 .
T h e sexes a re a lik e in colour.
Young. B row n , w ith p a le edge s to th e fe a th e rs , p a rtic u la rly th o s e o f th e lowe r b a c k , rum p , a u d u p p e r
ta il-co v e rts ; q uills a u d ta il b rown, w ith w hite frin g e s to th e cuds o f th e in n e r se conda rie s j luulor
surface o f b od y d u ll w h ite , w ith a l ittle b row u o u tlic fo re n e ck (some time s fo rm in g a collar) an d
o n th e f la n k s ; th e c h in tin g e d with s a lm o n -c o lo u r; th e u u d e r ta il-c o v e rts w h ite , wa sh ed with
sm o k y b rown towa rds tb e euds.
A fte r th e f ir s t m o u lt th e white m a rg in s to th e in n e r se co n d a rie s d is ap p e a r, th e b lu e p lum ag e i»
d o n n e d , tlio u g h n ev e r q u ite so b rillia n t as in tb e old birds, a n d th e th ro a t a n d fore ne ck arc
d is tin c tly s a lmon-coloured. T h is la s t c h a ra c te r se ems to b e a sig n o f im m a tu r ity , b u t on ly occurs
a f te r th e f irs t m o u lt.
Pro fe s so r B a ird s ep a ra ted th e spe c ie s from C o s ta llic a a n d th e A n d e an su b reg io n as A . montana, ou
a c c o u n t o f its lo n g e r b ill, b u t we h av e n o t fou n d t h a t tlic d is tin c tiv e c h a ra c te rs am o u n t to
m u c h . T h e ra c e which h e sep a ra te s as A . p a ta g ó n ica , a u d which B u rm e is te r c a lled A . hemipyga,
is r e a lly recogniz able a u d m ay prove to be a d is tin c t species. I t differs in h a v in g th e v e n t and
th e b a s a l u u d e r ta il-co v e rts w hite . A ll th e C h ilia n spe c imens iu th e B ritish Museum sliow th is
c h a ra c te r, a s do also examples f rom Cosquiu, in th e pro v in c e o f Cordova. W e should feel iu ch u cd
to re co g n iz e A . pata g ó n ica as a ra c e , b u t fo r th e fa c t th a t spe c im ens from C o sn ip a ta iu P e ru
ap p e a r to be in te rm e d ia te , and we m u s t leave tb e su b je c t to fu tu r e in q u ir e r s to d e te rm in e .
Tlie following is a lis t o f some m e a su rem en ts o f sp e c im en s from v a rious p o rtio n s o f th e b ird’s
ra n g e
Total length. Culmen. Wing. Tail. Tarsili.
in. in. in. in. in.
. . . 4-4 0-3 3-8 2-1 0-45
. . . 4-0 0-3 3-7 2-0 0-45
eri) . 0-3 3 / imp. 0-45
. . . 4-3 3-8 1'8 0-45
0-3 3-7 2-0 0-45
!/)
Total length. Culmen. Wing. Tail. Tarsus.
in. in. in. in. in.
/■ Im m . P a n am a [ M e L e a n n a n ) .......................... 4-5 0-3 3-9 20 0-45
9- Ju v . V e ra g u a { A r c e ) ............................................. 3-9 0-25 3-45 IG 0-4
h. 3-7 0-3 3-45 1-8 0-4
i. ? ad. F ro n tin o , Co lom b ia {Salmon) . . . 4-4 0-3 3-5 1-7 0-4
k. A im m . Ro ra im a , 8 /5 /8 2 {White ly ) . . . 4-5 0 3 3 .8 1-8 0 '4 5
I. Ad. „ 10/12/81 „ . . . 4-2 0-23 3 '8 1-9 0-4
m. A d . E c u a d o r (ex G o u ld ) ....................................... 4-G 0-3 3-85 1-95 0-4
n. A d . Sical, E c u a d o r { B u c k l e y ) .......................... 4-5 0 3 3-7 2-1 0-45
0. Ad . C liig u in d a , E c u a d o r {B u c k le y ) . . . 4-4 0-3 3 '8 1-95 0 1 5
P- Ad. E cu ad o r (ex G o u l d ) ....................................... 4-3 0-25 3-7 1-95 0-45
9- 3- ad. A req u ip a (B'AiYe/y), 6,'6/G7 . . . . 5 1 0-3 3-9 2-2 0-4
r. 5-0 0-25 4 1 2-1 0 -4
s. A d . Canga lli, Bolivia {B u c k le y ) .......................... 4 5 0-3 4-1 2-15 0-45
t. $ ad. C hili {Philippi ^ Landbeck) . . . . 50 0-3 3-85 2-05 0-45
u. A d . C hili { R e e d ) ..............................................' • 5-3 0-3 4-05 2'2 0-45
V. ? . Co sq u iu , Cordova , A rg e n tin e R ep u b lic
{W hite ), 1 7 / 8 / 8 2 .................................................... 4-7 0-3 4-0 2-1 0-45
w., Ad. B ah ia { W u c k e r e r ) ....................................... 4-4 0-3 3-75 2-2 0-45
X. Ad . B r a z i l ................................................................. 4-4 0-25 3-8 2-1 0-4
y- (J ju v . P c lo ta s , R io G ran d e do S u l, Bra z il
{ J o y n e r ) ........................................................................ 4 0 0-3 3-5 F 7 5 0-4
M an y spccimniis have some o v a te sp o ts o t ila rk bi-oivii o n th o b r e a s t, a s in P rogne logera, a n d ive have
n o t h c en able to a c co u n t to r th is app e a ran c e , which is p e rc ep tib le in b o th old a n d y o u n g b ird s .
I t is p re s e n t in n e a rly a ll Cliiliau spe c imens, b u t is rrot confined to th em , as we find tr a c e s o f th e
same m a rk in g s in o th e rs from A req u ip a , C o sn ip a ta , B ahia, a u d th e y a re p re s e n t in y o u n g b ird s
f rom C e a chupnta , P e ru , Q u ito , a n d P u e r to C abc llo in Vene zu e la . T h is sp o ttin g is th e re fo re
a p p a re n tly n o t a sig n o f a ge o r sc a soua l plumage .
Hah. F rom Costa l lic a so u thw a rd s , th ro u g h o u t th e whole o f S o u th Am e ric a to B o livia a n d th e A rg e n t
in e lle p u b lic . I u tlie in te r io r o f th e la t te r c o u u try , in C h ili a u d P a ta g o n ia , a w h itc -v e u te d ra c e
o c curs.
The prosent species is spread over the greater part of South America and ranges into
Central America. !Messrs. Salvin and Godman record it from Costa Rica and Panama.
Dr. Hoffmann and M. Carniiol met ivitli it at San José in the former country, and the
latter collector also found it at Barranca. Specimens in immature plumage are iu the
Salvin-Godman colleetiuu, so that it probably breeds in that country, but no nests have as
yet been found. Hr. Rogers met with the species in the Irazu district, and H. Boucard
procured two specimous near Cartago ; they were on the ground in a small forest. In
the Salviu-Godman collection arc two individuals obtained hy Arcó at Tucurriqui in the
summer of 1864 ; they arc both fully adult. The same collection contains several specimens
from Panama, procui-ed by the late Hr. MeLeannan, as well as some from Calovevora,
2 I 2