PSILORHINUS. 505 
PSILORHINUS. 
Psilorhinus, Riippell, Mus. Senckenb. p. 188 (1837) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. iii. p. 139. 
Psilorhinus is usually placed amongst the genera in which the nostrils are completely 
exposed, and we have seen specimens in this condition; in others the supranasal feathers 
thinly cover the nostrils, and the arrangement of the feathers of this portion of the 
head is but a slight modification of that of Cyanocoraz ; there is also an indication of a 
malar spot which points to a similar affinity. Ps¢lorhinus nevertheless is a fairly definite 
genus, having a much stronger bill than any of the American Garruline. The wings 
too are longer than in Cyanocorax, the primaries exceeding the secondaries by nearly 
an inch and a half. 
Psilorhinus is peculiar to our region, and is represented by two species—one of which 
spreads from the Rio Grande to Costa Rica, the other occupies an, at present, ill-defined 
area in Mexico. 
1. Psilorhinus morio. 
Pica morio, Wag]. Isis, 1829, p. 751*; 1831, p. 527°. 
Corvus morio, Licht. Preis-Verz. mex. Vég. p. 1; J. £. Orn. 1863, p. 56°. 
Corvus morio, Eyd. & Gerv. Voy. ‘ Favorite,’ Zool. p. 54%. 
Psilorhinus morio, Bp. Consp. Av. i. p. 881°; Scl. P. Z. 8. 1856, p. 800°; 1859, p. 83657; Sel. & 
Salv. P. Z.S. 1869, p. 363°; Sumichrast, Mem. Bost. Soc. N. H. i. p. 554°; Baird, 
Brew., & Ridgw. N. Am. B. ii. p. 304°; Lawr. Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. no. 4, p. 25"; 
Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. iii. p. 189"; Perez, Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. viii. p. 153”, 
Pica fuliginosa, Less. Traité d’Orn. p. 333 ™. 
Brunneus ; alis et cauda vix dilutioribus ; capite undique cum gutture toto saturatioribus ; corpore subtus reliquo 
pallide brunneo ; rostro nigro, interdum flavo variegato, pedibus nigris. Long. tota 15'8, alx 8-0, caudee 
rect. med. 8:0, rect. lat. 6°3, rostri a rictu 1:6, tarsi 1-9. (Descr. exempl. ex Jalapa, Mexico. Mus. 
nostr.) 
Hab. Mexico? ?%, Rio Grande valley 12, Boquillo and China in Nuevo Leon (Couch 10). 
city of Mexico (/e Strange’), State of Vera Cruz (Sumichrast °), Cordova (Sallé®), 
Jalapa (de Oca", Perez 1), Mirador !°, Plan del Rio (Perez 13), Guichicovi (Sumi- 
chrast 11). 
The differences between this bird and P. mexicanus are obvious enough at first sight, 
the white tips to all but the central feathers of the tail in the latter bird being a 
conspicuous character; but their range is hardly what would be expected, both forms 
being found in the same districts of Mexico, as at Mirador and elsewhere. 
But P. morio is a purely Mexican bird, and is confined to the hot and temperate 
regions. According to Sumichrast, it inhabits the greater portion of the State of Vera 
Cruz up to an elevation of about 5000 feet. Its habits are described as gregarious and 
extremely noisy ; it frequents the forests of high trees. Nothing has been recorded of 
its nesting-habits which can be relied upon; but Sumichrast says that he was assured 
BIOL. CENTR.-AMER., Aves, Vol. I., ApriZ 1887. 64 
