434 FRINGILLIDA. 
short of the base of the middle claw; inner toe entirely separated at the base from the 
middle toe, and the outer with only the first phalanx united ; hallux about equal in length 
to the lateral toes, but much stronger, its claw decidedly larger than that of the middle 
toe. Wings decidedly longer than the tail, very concave beneath, the third, fourth, and 
fifth quills nearly equal and longest, the second a very little shorter, the first about 
equal to the seventh. Tail about equal to the wing measured to the end of the 
secondaries, nearly even or very slightly rounded, consisting of twelve rectrices, which 
are acute, but not stiffened at the points; the outer web of the median rectrices broader 
at the base than the inner web. 
There is a small notch near the tip of the maxilla; the rictal bristles are hardly 
perceptible, and the posterior face of the tarsus on both sides is entirely undivided. 
1. Acanthidops bairdi. | 
Acanthidops bairdi, Ridgw. Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. iv. p. 336°. 
“Above dull olive-brown, the back washed with rusty; wings dusky, the middle and greater coverts tipped 
with pale rusty, forming two distinct bands, the inner secondaries broadly edged with darker rusty ; 
remaining secondaries narrowly skirted with dark umber-brown, the primaries with light dull ochraceous 
or yellowish-olive. Tail dusky, the outer webs slightly greenish-olive. Pileum indistinctly streaked with 
dusky ; sides of the head and neck dull olivaceous, lighter than the crown and nape; chin and throat still 
paler, the feathers pale only beneath the surface, the rest of the lower parts dull, light olivaceous, tinged 
with deeper olive across the breast and along the sides. Maxilla blackish, paler along the edge; mandible 
whitish ; legs and feet (in the dried skin) light brownish; iris pale blue. Wing 2°5, tail 2-2, culmen 0°58, 
commissure 0:65, tarsus 0°8, middle toe 0°6.” 
Hab. Costa Rica, Volcan de Irazu (J. Cooper 1). 
Species incerte sedis. 
1. Sporophila othello, Bp. Consp. Av. i. p. 498. 
Major, nigerrimus, remigibus extus basi late albis, tectricibus inferioribus nigris. 
Hab. America Centralis (Mus. Berol.). 
This species is placed with S. crassirostris in the section Coccoborus. The description 
suggests Oryzoborus nuttingi (anted, p. 848), but the size of the wing-speculum does 
not appear to correspond, and there are no dimensions given to guide our judgment. 
2. Oriturus mexicanus, Bp. Consp. Av. i. p. 469. 
Unicolor, uniformis. 
Hab. Mexico (Mus. Lugd.). 
Can this refer to Haplospiza uniformis (anted, p. 366)4 
G. R. Gray places 0. mexicanus as a synonym of Hamophila rufescens (Hand-l. ii. 
p. 91, no. 7343) ; but this cannot be correct, the description corresponding in no way. 
Two words of definition are not enough to give a species a proper status. 
