MYIODYNASTES.—MEGARHYNCHUS. 51 
the Panama Railway, but at Concordia in the Cauca valley of Colombia VM. chryso- 
cephalus appears, and continues its range to Peru. 
M. hemichrysus was separated by Dr. Cabanis with some hesitation in 1861, and a 
few years after Mr. Lawrence described the same bird as M. superciliaris, both names 
being founded on Costa Rica specimens. 
MEGARHYNCHUS. 
Megarhynchus, Thunberg, Disq. de genere Megarhyncho (1824), cf. Heine, J. f. Orn. 1859, p. 337 
(type Lanius pitangua, Linn.) ; Scl. Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xiv. p. 189. 
Scaphorhynchus, Wied, Beitr. iii. p. 982. 
Though several geographical races have from time to time been proposed for 
Megarhynchus pitanqua, it is now found that no such divisions are capable of definition, 
so that the genus now contains a single species of very wide distribution, extending 
from Southern Mexico to Southern Brazil. When the classification of the Tyrannide 
is recast it will be well to consider the propriety of adding Pitangus parvus and the 
Hypermitres section of Myiodynastes to Megarhynchus. 
The general colour of WM. pitangua resembles that of many other species of Tyrannide, 
such as Pitangus derbianus, Myiozetetes similis, &c., but the great development of the 
bill at once distinguishes the present genus. The bill is very large, the culmen curved, 
the terminal hook large, the sides of the maxilla are convex, and the tomia curved; the 
width at the base is about half the length of the tomia; the nostrils are like those of 
Pitangus, covered by the projecting supranasal feathers; the tarsi are short, and the 
feet moderately strong; the 3rd quill is the longest, 2nd= 4th, 6th> 1st; tail moderate, 
slightly emarginate, <# wing, tarsus < wing. 
1. Megarhynchus pitangua. 
Lanius pitangua, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 186’; Wagl. Isis, 1831, p. 529’. 
Muscicapa pitangua, Licht. Preis-Verz. mex. Vog. p. 2 (cf. J. f. Orn. 1863, p. 58°). 
Megarhynchus pitangua, Nutting, Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. v. p. 394*; Nutting & Ridgw. Pr. U.S. Nat. 
Mus. vi. pp. 874°, 893°; Salv. Cat. Strick]. Coll. p. 8117; Scl. Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xiv. 
p- 189°. 
Scaphorhynchus mesxicanus, Lafr. Rev. Zool. 1851, p. 473°; Scl. P. ZS. 1857, p. 204", 1859, 
p- 866"; Scl. & Salv. Ibis, 1859, p. 120°; Taylor, Ihis, 1860, p. 113°; Lawr. Ann, Lye. 
N. Y. vii. p. 295'*; Sumichrast, Mem. Bost. Soc. N. H. i. p. 556”. 
Megarhynchus mexicanus, Cab. J. f. Orn. 1861, p. 246°; Scl. & Salv. P. ZS. 1864, p. 360”, 
1870, p. 837°; Lawr. Ann. Lyc. N.Y. viii. p. 1837, ix. pp. 114”, 201"; Bull. U.S. Nat. 
Mus. no. 4, p. 26”; v. Frantz. J. f. Orn. 1869, p. 808 °°; Salv. Ibis, 1872, p. 318™. 
Supra olivaceo-brunneus ; capite nigro; fronte et superciliis elongatis, albis ; crista magna celata plerumque 
castanea, nonnunquam flavo intermixta; alis et cauda nigricantibus, extrorsum stricte rufo limbatis : 
subtus flavissimus; subalaribus concoloribus; gula alba: rostro et pedibus nigris. Long. tota 9-0, ale 4:9, 
caude 3°6, tarsi 0°75, rostri a rictu 1-45. (Descr. maris ex Volcan de Agua, Guatemala. Mus. nostr.) 
9 mari similis, sed crista celata flava distinguenda. 
= 
7 * 
