MIMOCICHLA. 



m 



eye. Wings and tail black, the coverts and outer edges of the quills light 

 hoary plumbeous, margining and abruptly contrasting with the general black 

 (1st and 2d primaries not margined). Rather more than the terminal fourth 

 (1.20 inches) of lateral tail feathers with a white patch, the portion on the 

 outer web plumbeous ; this patch diminishes in size on the others until on 

 the two inner on each side it forms only a slight plumbeous tip. The bill is 

 black ; the legs reddish. 



Tarsus, 1.40; middle toe and claw, 1.10; claw from base, .30; bill from 

 base of head, 1.09, from nostrils, .61; commissure, 1.10; wing, 4.68; tail, 

 5 ; 1st quill, 1.00 long, .20 wide. 



As shown by Dr. Bryant, this is the true Turdiis plumbeiis of 

 Linnceus, based upon the Turdus viscivorus jJ^uvibeus of Catesby 

 (I, pi. xxx), a Bahama bird not recognized by naturalists until the 

 visit of Dr. Bryant to the Bahamas, in 1859. In the 10th edition 

 Linnaeus confines his citations entirely to Catesby; in the 12th, he 

 includes Brisson's description of Merida americana cinerea, a differ- 

 ent species. In their endeavors to find in Catesby's bird one or 

 other of the species belonging to the West Indies, authors found 

 a great stumbling block in the black bill represented in his figure 

 and description ; and Vieillot insists that Catesby must have been 

 in error. This is, however, one of the most strongly marked 

 characteristics of the species. 



Smith- 'CoUec- 



soniaa tur's 



No. No. 



33,16S 



Sex 

 and 

 Afire. 



Locality. 



Nassau, N. P. 



When 



Collected. 



Ap. 22, '61. 



Received from 



Collected hy 



Lt. Fitzgerald. 

 Cab. Dr. lii-yant. 



33,168. Legs, inside of bill, and iris orange red ; bill black. 



MimocicSiIa scliistacea. 



Mimocichla schistacea, Baird, n. s. 



(17,713.) Bill very large and stout, about as long as the head ; commissure 

 very nearly straight. Bill decidedly notched. Rictal bristles short ; not 

 reaching as far forward as the nostrils. Legs stout ; tarsi longer than middle 

 toe and claw ; no indication of scutellation anteriorly. Wings rather shorter 

 than tail ; 1st primary much developed, almost half the 2d, broad-falcate, 

 rather pointed. Tail somewhat graduated ; lateral feathers .70 shorter than 

 central. 



Color dark plumbeous, scarcely paler on the rump. Centres of feathers of 

 head and back darker (concealed). Tibiae plumbeous, vent and crissum 

 white. A broad patch on throat extending to the jugulum, lores, and space 

 beneath the eye, black ; chin and short stripe along the side of lower jaw, 

 with concealed basal edges of the throat feathers, white. Tail feathers with 

 a terminal white patch, largest externally, and diminishing to the central 



