The Tyrannid Aechmolophus Mexicanus in Guerrero
The Tyrannid Aechmolophus mexicanus in Guerrero.The small Mexican flycatcher of uncertain aflinities, Aeckmolopkus mexicanus, described in 1938 by J. T. Zimmer (Auk, 55, 663-665), is known in the literature from only two specimens. These are the type (a male) in the American Museum of Natural History and a second specimen (female) in the United States National Museum (Zimmer, Auk, 56, 1939:189). Both were obtained at Cuernavaca, Morelos, at 5000 feet, on April 9, 1908, by A. P. Smith.
A third specimen is now reported from the Milton S. Ray collection of Guerreran birds at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology. It is a male (“testes g enlarged”) obtained by W. W. Brown at or near Chilpancingo, Guerrero, on October 26, 1940. The altitude at Chilpqncingo is approximately 4400 feet. Wing and tail measure 65.5 and 66.9 mm., respectively. The collector’s label bears the notations “iris brown” and “mandible completely yellow.” This specimen (Mus. Vert. Zool. no. 111278) was compared directly with the type in New York in November, 1950. The known range of Aeckmolo$kus mexicanus is thus extended southward into central Guerrero. This note is written primarily to make the record available for two separate comprehensive reviews of Mexican tyrannids now in progress, but I hope also that it will stimulate further search for this little known species.- FRANK A. PITELKA, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, Berkeley, California, Marck 5, 1951.
