Bulletin - United States National Museum - si-pddr - Smithsonian ...

330 BULLETIN 133, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM
by Hartert ^* this bird presents a curious appearance for a species of
this group as th > entire dorsal surface from forehead to upper tail
coverts, including- the lesser wing coverts, is marked with triangular
spots of white.
I am uncertain as to the validity of Suiriri suirlri albescens
(Gould) ^'^ separated by Oberholser ^° on supposed grayer dorsal sur-
face and whiter wing bars. With a fair series I find these charac-
ters somewhat variable in birds from Paraguay and from points
farther south, so that I can not make a definite separation with the
material at hand.
-Though these birds frequented forest or brush-grown areas, they
were conspicuous and easily seen, as they were usually encountered
among open branches where there was little concealment of twigs
or foliage. It was usual to find two or three together. The species
had several notes that served to advertise its presence, one that resembled
chee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee^ a rolling whinny, being most common.
The ordinary call note was a low chee chee^ and in the breeding season
they uttered a musical song in a low tone. Their movements
were slow and rather methodical, so that at times they gave some
suggestion of vireos.
SUIRIRI IMPROVISA Wetmore
Suiriri improfisa Wetmore, Auk, 1924, p. 595. (Tapia, Province of Tucuman,
Argentina.)
The type and only specimen seen of this species was shot near
Tapia, Tucuman, on April 9, 1921, as it worked slowly through the
tops of trees in dry, open forest. In general appearance the bird
suggests Suiriri suiriri except that it has a longer, heavier bill, but
with this structural resemblance is combined a type of coloration resembling
that of Suhlegatus fasciatus. In a way improvisa is repre-
sentative of Suiri.ri affinis (Burmeister) (long considered an
Elaenia^ but placed in Suiriri by Berlepsch),^^ but is distinctly different
in its darker color, distinct grayish band across the chest, and
the lack of yellowish at the bases of the rectrices. It is surprising to
discover so distinct species in a locality so well worked as Tapia.
SUBLEGATUS FASCIATUS (Thunberg)
Pipra fasciata Thunbe21g, Mem. Acad. Imp. Sci. St. Petersbourg, vol. 8,
1822, pp. 283, 285. (Brazil.) (Reference from Brabourne and Chubb.)
This flycatcher was first recorded at Las Palmas, Chaco, where
specimens were collected July 13, 27, and 30, 1920. Others were
18 Nov. Zool., vol. 16, December, 1909, p. 200.
1" Pachyrhamphus albescens Gould, Zool. Voy. Heaglo, pt. 3. Birds, July, 1839, p. 50.
pi. 14. (Buenos Aires.)
2» Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 25, 1902, p. 136.
^iProc. Fourth Int. Ornith. Congr., 1907, p. 442.