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288 BULLETIN 133, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM
STIGMATURA BUDYTOIDES INZONATA Wetmore and Peters
Stigmatura budytoidos inzonata Wetmore and Peters, Proc. Biol. Soc.
Washington, vol. 36, May 1, 1923, p. 143. (Tapia, Tucuman.)
The present race differs from jS. h. flavo-cinerea in the presence
of a white spot on the inner web of the outer tail feather, and by
the bright yellow of superciliary and underparts. S. h. hudytoides
has the white marking in the tail more extensive. It was fairly
common at Tapia, Tucuman, from April 9 to 13, 1921, where seven
skins preserved were collected on the following dates: Two males,
April 9 and 10, a female and one of unlaiown sex on April 11, a
male on April 12, a male and one with sex not determined on
April 13. The birds frequented dry, rather open forest of low
trees, with frequent clumps of thorny bushes, where they ranged
well under cover in pairs or little bands of three or four indi-
viduals. As they hopped about in search for food they jerked
and twitched the tail, frequently throwing it above the back, while
the wings were drooped, a mannerism that with their slender forms
gave them the appearance of gnatcatchers. In fact, as PolioptUa
dumicola was found in the same situations it was at times difficult
to distinguish readily between the two, when the birds were partly
concealed behind screens of branches. At intervals Stigmatura
emitted a series of sharp, explosive call notes in which two or more
joined, a medley that suggested the explosive calls of Tyrannus
verticalis. Save for these the birds would often have passed unnoted
in the scrub. Their flight was weak and tilting, and was
seldom pursued for any great distance. Specimens taken were in
various stages of molt.
Mr. Ridgway ^^ calls attention to the resemblance of Stigmatura
(usually considered a tyrannid) to certain Formicariidae and sug-
gests that it may belong in that family.
STIGMATURA BUDYTOIDES FLAVO-CINEREA Burmeister
Phylloscartes flavo-cinereus Burmeister, Reise La Plata-Staaten, vol. 2,
1861, p. 455. (Valleys of Sierra Uspallata, Mendoza, Argentina.)
S. h. flavo-cinerea is distinguished from the northern forms of the
species by the duller yellow of the undersurface and the white super-
ciliary. The two specimens that I have seen have no indication of a
white spot on the inner web of the outer rectrix. A specimen secured
by the Page expedition on the Rio Bermejo in March, 1860, is
intermediate between flavo-cin^erea and i7izonata of Tucuman, as it
has the dull breast of -fiavo-cinerea and the tail of inzonata^ while
the superciliary is very dull yellow.
»9U. S. Nat. Mus., Bull. 50, vol. 4, 1907, p. 339.