Sporophila melanogaster (Pelzeln)

Spermophila melanogaster Pelzeln, Orn. Bras., 3, pp. 225, 332, 1870 (Itararé [type] and Borda do Mato [near Mogí-Mirím], São Paulo, Brazil).

Specimens examined.— BRAzIL: ♂, ¹ ♀,¹ Paccaria, Rio Grande do Sul.

Measurements.— ♂ wing 54.5, tail 49.5, culmen 8.5 mm.; ♀ wing 52.5, tail 47.5, culmen 8.5 mm.

Description of female.— Fresh plumage: above olive brown, throat, breast pale buff shading to almost white on under tail coverts. Tail and wing coverts black,edged pale olive brown. The presence of a white speculum in the only specimen examined may show it to be a young male.

Range.—Southeastern Brazil, in the states of São Paulo (Itararé, Borda do Mato) and Rio Grande do Sul (Paccaria).

Remarks.—Although the throat, center of breast and abdomen and the under tail coverts are black instead of chestnut as in S. c. castaneiventris, the pattern is very similar and I regard it not impossible that melanogaster may eventually prove to be a subspecies of castaneiventris.