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

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

si.pddr.si.edu
from si.pddr.si.edu More from this publisher
16.06.2013 Views

394 BULLETIN 133, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM Formosa, August 23 and 24, and Kilometer 80, west of Puerto Pinasco, Paraguay, September 16 (two seen and a female taken). Mrs. E. M. B. Naumburg ®^ has recently separated the blue tanager of Bolivia and Argentina (except Misiones) as a race that may be distinguished by darker coloration especially above, somewhat longer wing, and usually smaller bill than tj'pical sayaca from north- eastern Brazil (Bahia and Ceara). Skins from Las Palmas, Chaco, are representative of obscura., while one from Kilometer 80, west of Puerto Pinasco, while intermediate, is so dark that it is best identified with the western race. In the rather limited series that I have seen skins from Matto Grosso, Paraguay, Sao Paulo, and Rio Grande do Sul are distinctly intermediate and appear on the whole nearer ohscura than sayaca. This statement is made with reservation as it is based on a limited number of skins. During the winter period these birds were found in bands of three or four to a dozen that worked quickly through the tops of the trees, or that flew with undulating flight for long distances across country. They were shy and difficult to see among the dense leaves of the trees. Little flocks frequented orange trees where they cut open ripe fruit to eat the juicy pulp. Hartert is apparently correct in his statement ^^ that there are no Argentine records for T. cyanoptera., as in a fair series of Argentine skins in the United States National Museum that species is not rep- resented. STEPHANOPHORUS DIADEMATUS (Temmir.ck) Tanagra diademata Temminck, Nouv. Rec. Planch. Col. Ois., vol. 3, livr. 41, pi. 243, Dec. 27, 1823. (Brazil.) The name Tanagra diademata is ordinarily cited from Mikan's Delectus Florae et Faunae Brasiliensis as "pi. 2, 1820-25." On consulting this rare work it is found that the name in question occurs in the fourth fascicle which did not appear until 1825, so that Tem- minck's publication at the end of 1823 has priority. This handsome species was common in Uruguay, where it was noted at La Paloma, the port of Rocha, January 23 (adult and immature males taken) ; San Vicente, January 27 to 31 (male and female collected) ; Lazcano, February 6 to 8 (male taken), and Rio Negro, February 15 to 19. The birds inhabited dense thickets. They rested often on the tops of bushes or trees, and when alarmed dropped into heavy cover beneath. They decoyed readily and were collected without difficulty. The song is a pleasant, rapidly uttered warble, finchlike in tone, and the call a soft chewp cheivp. The flight is tilting. Unless light conditions are favorable they appear eiAuk, 1924, pp. 105-116. »2Nov. Zool., December, 1909, p. 171.

BIRDS OF ARGENTINA, PARAGUAY, URUGUAY, AND CHILE 395 dull black so that their brilliant colors when in the hand come as a distinct surprise. The immature male, in juvenal plumage, in general is deep mouse gra}' Avith a wash of blue on the back, rump, sides of the head and neck, and crown, with a grayish wash at the sides of the crown. The bill in this species suggests that of Phytotoma., as it is evi- dently designed for cutting and crushing. The margin of the upper mandible is faintly crenulate. Near the tip there are some slightly projecting serrations just inside the cutting edge. Still farther inward is a row of distinct corneous projections that ex- tend along either side of the palate, and converge to meet near the tip of the bill. On the inner margin of the lower mandible are slight i^rojections that meet those above. The tongue is broad, strong, and bifurcate at the tip. Family FRINGILLIDAE '•'^ SALTATOR SIMILIS SIMILIS d'Orbigny and Lafresiiaje Saltator similis d'OKBiGNY and Lafresnaye, Mag. Zool., 1S37, cl. 2, p. 36. (Corrientes, Argentina.) This saltator was first seen near Kesistencia, Cliaco, when an adult female was taken July 9, 1920. At Las Palmas, Chaco, it was frequent from July 19 to 31 and two immature males were prepared as skins (July 19 and 26). Saltators that I assumed to be this species were recorded at the Riacho Pilaga, August 7, 11, and 14, and at Formosa, Formosa, August 24. Two males were secured at Kilometer 25, west of Puerto Pinasco, on September 1 and 3. These are all fairly uniform in dimensions and in color, the only differences noted being between adult and immature in- dividuals, the latter being greener above and huffier on the breast than older birds. Berlepsch "* has described /S. s. ochraceiventris from Santa Catherina and Rio Grande do Sul (type locality Taquara) as deeper buff below, a character present in one skin in the United States National Museum from Rio Grande. Like other saltators the present species inhabited thickets and groves where it fed either on the ground or among the tree tops. Those taken usually had the bill gummed with plant juices. Near Las Palmas they were seen in orange groves which they appeared to visit for the fruit. One brought to me alive was caught in a snare baited with corn. Their usual call note was a low pj^ee-ee or jjnit prut. They sang a cheerful whistled song from amid leaves in the tops of low trees, "^ The family name Fringillidae is here used in the broader sense pending an allocation of South American forms in the logical scheme proposed by Doctor Sushkin (Auk, 1923, p. 260). "Verb. V. Int Ornith.-Kongr., 1911, p. 1146.

394 BULLETIN 133, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM<br />

Formosa, August 23 and 24, and Kilometer 80, west of Puerto<br />

Pinasco, Paraguay, September 16 (two seen and a female taken).<br />

Mrs. E. M. B. Naumburg ®^ has recently separated the blue tanager<br />

of Bolivia and Argentina (except Mi<strong>si</strong>ones) as a race that may be<br />

distinguished by darker coloration especially above, somewhat<br />

longer wing, and usually smaller bill than tj'pical sayaca from north-<br />

eastern Brazil (Bahia and Ceara). Skins from Las Palmas, Chaco,<br />

are representative of obscura., while one from Kilometer 80, west of<br />

Puerto Pinasco, while intermediate, is so dark that it is best identified<br />

with the western race. In the rather limited series that I have<br />

seen skins from Matto Grosso, Paraguay, Sao Paulo, and Rio Grande<br />

do Sul are distinctly intermediate and appear on the whole nearer<br />

ohscura than sayaca. This statement is made with reservation as it<br />

is based on a limited number of skins.<br />

During the winter period these birds were found in bands of three<br />

or four to a dozen that worked quickly through the tops of the trees,<br />

or that flew with undulating flight for long distances across country.<br />

They were shy and difficult to see among the dense leaves of the<br />

trees. Little flocks frequented orange trees where they cut open ripe<br />

fruit to eat the juicy pulp.<br />

Hartert is apparently correct in his statement ^^ that there are no<br />

Argentine records for T. cyanoptera., as in a fair series of Argentine<br />

skins in the <strong>United</strong> <strong>States</strong> <strong>National</strong> <strong>Museum</strong> that species is not rep-<br />

resented.<br />

STEPHANOPHORUS DIADEMATUS (Temmir.ck)<br />

Tanagra diademata Temminck, Nouv. Rec. Planch. Col. Ois., vol. 3, livr.<br />

41, pi. 243, Dec. 27, 1823. (Brazil.)<br />

The name Tanagra diademata is ordinarily cited from Mikan's<br />

Delectus Florae et Faunae Bra<strong>si</strong>lien<strong>si</strong>s as "pi. 2, 1820-25." On<br />

consulting this rare work it is found that the name in question occurs<br />

in the fourth fascicle which did not appear until 1825, so that Tem-<br />

minck's publication at the end of 1823 has priority.<br />

This handsome species was common in Uruguay, where it was<br />

noted at La Paloma, the port of Rocha, January 23 (adult and immature<br />

males taken) ; San Vicente, January 27 to 31 (male and<br />

female collected) ; Lazcano, February 6 to 8 (male taken), and Rio<br />

Negro, February 15 to 19. The birds inhabited dense thickets.<br />

They rested often on the tops of bushes or trees, and when alarmed<br />

dropped into heavy cover beneath. They decoyed readily and were<br />

collected without difficulty. The song is a pleasant, rapidly uttered<br />

warble, finchlike in tone, and the call a soft chewp cheivp. The<br />

flight is tilting. Unless light conditions are favorable they appear<br />

eiAuk, 1924, pp. 105-116.<br />

»2Nov. Zool., December, 1909, p. 171.

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!