OF THE UNIVERSITY Of ILLINOIS 59O.5 Return this book on or before the Latest Date stamped below. A charge is made on all overdue books. University of Illinois Library DEC 1 2 1948 II M32 ZOOLOGICAL SERIES OF FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY Volume 24 CHICAGO, JUNE 29, 1940 No. 14 A NEW VENEZUELAN HONEY CREEPER BY EMMET R. BLAKE ASSISTANT CURATOR, DIVISION OF BIRDS Among birds collected by the Mandel Venezuelan Expedition of Field Museum on the upper slopes of Mount Turumiquire are five specimens representing an undescribed race of Diglossa baritula. The range of the species is thus extended eastward approximately 250 miles from the north coast mountains of Venezuela in the vicinity of Caracas, eastern limit of D. b. hyperythra, the closest geographical representative. For the loan of comparative material I am indebted to Mr. James L. Peters, of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Mr. John T. Zimmer, of the American Museum of Natural His- tory, Mr. James Bond, of the Philadelphia Academy of Sciences, Dr. Herbert Friedmann, of the United States National Museum, and Mr. W. E. Clyde Todd, of the Carnegie Museum. Diglossa baritula mandeli1 subsp. nov. Type from Mount Turumiquire, Sucre, Venezuela. Alt. 6,000 feet. No. 92646 Field Museum of Natural History. Adult male. Collected February 19, 1932, by Emmet R. Blake. Orig. No. 85. Diagnosis.— Resembles Diglossa baritula d'orbignyi Boissonneau in size and color pattern, but under parts much deeper ochraceous; crown and sides of head darker, the former being distinct from the upper back. Nape, back, and upper tail coverts darker than in d'orbignyi, but more clearly blue, with less gray-blue inter- mixture. Under carpal coverts Slate-Gray.2 Description of type. — Crown Bluish-Black, becoming darker on forehead and auriculars; lores black; nape, back, and upper tail 1 Named for Mr. Leon Mandel, of Chicago. 2 Capitalized names of colors are from Ridgway's Color Standards and Nomenclature, 1912. No. 474 155 Natural History Library 156 FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY— ZOOLOGY, VOL. 24 coverts Slate-Gray; wing coverts, tectrices, and rectrices black, edged externally with Slate-Gray; entire under parts, including flanks and under wing coverts Tawny-Olive; under tail coverts slightly darker; under carpal coverts Slate-Gray; tibia dull Slate- Gray. Wing, 57; tail, 46; culmen, 10. Range. — Known only from the subtropical forests of the type locality, on the basis of four males and one female (subadult). Remarks. — The female is known from a single specimen (sub- adult) which differs from the female of D. b. d'orbignyi in being yellower. Discovery of a distinct new species, Diglossa venezuelensis, in the Subtropical zone of Mount Turumiquire by Mr. G. H. H. Tate, of the American Museum of Natural History, in 1925 extended the known range of the genus eastward from the Silla de Caracas by approximately 250 miles. The more recent discovery of a geo- graphical representative of Diglossa baritula in northeastern Vene- zuela not only extends similarly the range of that widespread species, but also strengthens the close faunal relationship between the two subtropical regions that has been noted by Dr. Chapman (Amer. Mus. Nov., 191, pp. 1-15, 1925). Geographically, mandeli is nearest hyperythra of north-central Venezuela but in physical appearance it quite unexpectedly shows closer affinity with d'orbignyi of the more distant Me"ridan Andes. The following specimens have been examined : Diglossa b. baritula. — 9: MEXICO (Contreras, Mexico, 1; Desierto de Leones, Mexico, 1; Mirador, Vera Cruz, 5; San Bartolo, San Luis Potosi, 1; Valley of Mexico, Dis- trito Federal, 1). Diglossa b. montana. — 9: GUATEMALA (Sierra Santa Elena, Chimaltenango, 2;1 Tecpan, Chimaltenango, 1; Volcan Tajumulco, San Marcos, 3). EL SALVADOR (Los Eses- miles, Chalatenango, 3). Diglossa b. parva. — 9: HONDURAS (Alto Cantoral, Teguci- galpa, 4; Tegucigalpa, Tegucigalpa, 5). Diglossa b. plumbea. — 30: COSTA RICA (Coliblanco, Car- tago, 16; Volcan Irazu, Cartago, 3; Volcan Turrialba, Cartago, 11). Diglossa b. veraguensis. — 5: PANAMA (Chitra, Veragua, 5).1 1 Including the type. i4 4 1940 A NEW HONEY CREEPER — BLAKE 157 Diglossa b. hyperythra. — 13: COLOMBIA (El Mamon, Mag- dalena, 2; Pueblo Viejo, Magdalena, 2; San Antonio, Magdalena, 1; San Sebastian, Magdalena, 1; Santa Cruz, Magdalena, 1). VENEZUELA (Colonia Tovar, Aragua, 5; Pico Naiguate", Miranda, 1). Diglossa b. d'orbignyi. — 52: COLOMBIA (Cerro Munchique, Cauca, 1 ; El Roble, Cundinamarca, 1 ; La Candela, Huila, 1; La Honda, Cundinamarca, 1; San Agustin, Huila, 2; San Antonio, Cauca, 5; Quetame, Meta, 2; Rio Toche, Tolima, 1; also 7 "Bogota" trade skins). VENEZUELA (Culata, MeYida, 7; Escorial, MeYida, 1; Me>ida, MeYida, 10; Valle, M<§rida, 13). Diglossa b. mandeli. — 5: VENEZUELA (Mount Turumiquire, Sucre, 5).1 Diglossa b. decorata. — 7: PERU (Cajamarca, Cajamarca, 2;1 Chinchao, Huanuco, 4; Huachipa, Huanuco, 1). Diglossa b. sittoides. — 2: BOLIVIA (Tiraqui, Cochabamba, 2). 1 Including the type. WE UWW OF THE JUL301940 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA