V IREOLANI U S MELITOPHRYS.
VIREOLANIUS MELITOPHRTS.
(HONEY-BEOWED SEEKELET).
Viveolanius melUoplirys . . . D u b u s, M.S. : Bp. CoQsp. p . 330.
. . . Sclater, P.Z.S. 1857, p . 213, e t 1859, p. 363.
„ „ . . . Sclater, Cat. Am, B. p. 45.
. . . S d . e t Salv. Ib is , 1860, p. 31.
„ . . . B a ird , Kcv. Am. B, i. p . 896.
S u p ra d a r e olivaceus, pileo e t cervice ciEereis ; su p e rc iliis la tis e t e lo r^ a tis aureis ; s trig a p e r oeulos e t a iterà
r ic ta li an g u stio re u trin q u e n ig ris : su b tu s p u re albus, to rq u e su b g u ttu ra li c t la te rib u s p ectoris, v en trem versus dilu-
tio rib u s, c astaneis ; ro s tro nig ro , p edibus p allidè carn eis : long, to ta 6 '0 , alas 3 9, c au d » 2'8.
Mob. in Mexico, Orizaba (B o tte r i), J a la p a {de Dea) : in Gu atema la, Vo lc an de Fu eg o {Salvin).
This well-marked Shrikelet is the largest, and perhaps the handsomest, of the brilliant
group to which it belongs, and is somewhat different from its congeners in style o f coloration,
looking to tbe snow-white under-plumage and pectoral band. The first specimens o f it brought
to Europe were probably those in the Berlin Museum, upon which Lichtenstein placed the
MS. name Lanius chrysophrys, without troubling himself to publish any description o f them.
The Vicomte Du Bus went a step farther, having had a carefid figure made o f this bird for a plate
(which has never y et been issued) in bis “ Esquisses Ornithologiques,” from a specimen m the
Museum at Brussels. He also assigned to ¡t the present appellation, under which it was first
made knoivn to science by Prince Charles Bonaparte.
Judging from the few examples met with among the nmnerous collections brought to
Em-ope from Mexico o f late years, this Vireolanius must be o f rare occurrence in that country.
Besides the single specimen obtained by Professor Bottcri in the neighbourhood o f Orizaba and
that b y De Oca near Jalapa, no other individuals have occm-red to us fr'om any part o f the
Mexican Empire. Nor does it appear to be much more numerous in the southern part o f its
range. Mr. Salvin only obtained three specimens o f this bird during all his joumeyings in Guatemala—
and these all in the same locality—namely, near the ranchos o f Calderas on the north
side o f the Volcan de Fuego. In this district in the month o f September 1859, he was
fortunate enough to witness a specimen o f this rare species fall to his own gun. A pair of them
were observed, frequenting the outer branches o f the ever-gi'een Oaks {Quercos), which constitute
almost the only forcst-tree o f that zone o f elevation on the \o lc a n o—namely, o f from
5,000 to 7,000 feet above the sea lev e l—hut only one was secm-ed. Mr. Salvin’s two remammg
examples were likewise obtained by Indian hunters in the same neighhom-hood, so tliat there
can he little doubt that this is essentially a highland form, whereas the rest o f the gTOup
arc believed to be inhabitants o f the lower forests.
The specimen figured is one o f those obtained on the Volcan de Fuego, and is now in the
collection o f Messrs. Salvin and Godman.
OcTonKR, 1866.