BIRDS OF NOKTII AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 61 



distinctly but not sharply ridged, straight for about basal half then 

 more and more decurved terminall}^ the tip of maxilla minutely but 

 distinctly uncinate; maxillar}'^ toniium slightly but decidedly con- 

 cave, minuteh'^ but distinctly notched subterminally; mandibular 

 tomium nearly straight, minutely notched subterminally; gonys 

 nearly straight terminally, gcntlj^ convex basally. Nostril exposed, 

 widely separated from feathering of frontal antia? (the intervening 

 space occupied by membrane), broadly (longitudinally) oval, the 

 internal tubercle visible within the posterior half. Rictal bristles 

 present but minute. Wing moderate, witli longest primaries extend- 

 ing decidedly beyond secondaries; sixth and seventh, fifth, sixth, 

 and seventh, or sixth, seventh, and eightli, primaries longest, the 

 tenth (outermost) more than half to about three-fifths as long as 

 the longest, the ninth shorter than secondaries. Tail decidedl}^ less 

 than half as long as wing {M. pygmsea) to slightly more than half as 

 long, very slightly to decidedl}^ rounded, the rectrices (10 in M. 

 pygmsea and M. cinereiventrisf ,"■ 12 in M. surinamensis and M. 

 assimilis) rather narrow, rounded terminally. Tarsus much longer 

 than exposed culmen, much shorter than tail and about one-third 

 as long as wing in II. Surinam ensis, veiy much shorter than tail and 

 decidedly less than one-third as long as wing in M. cinereiventris and 

 M. assimilis, nearly as long as tail and much more than one-third 

 as long as wing in 31. -pygmsea, distinctly scutellate, the plantar 

 scutella in two longitudinal series; middle toe, with claw, much 

 shorter than tarsus; outer toe, without claw, reaching to beyond 

 middle of subterminal phalanx of middle toe, the inner toe decidedly 

 shorter; hallux about as long as inner toe but much stouter; basal 

 phalanx of middle toe wholly imited to outer toe, for about half its 

 length to inner toe; claws moderate in size and curvature, that of 

 the hallux much shorter than the digit. Plumage soft and full, that 

 of the rump much developed and fluffy; pileum not crested. 



Coloration. — Adidt males black above, conspicuously streaked 

 with white, the wing with two broad white bands, or else plain gray 

 or slate color above, with small white tips to wing-coverts, the tail 

 with wdiite terminal spots; the under parts white streaked with black 

 {M. surinamensis) or immaculate pale yellow (31. pygmsea), or plain 

 gray or slate color (M. cinereiventris and M. assimilis) ; adult females 

 with head and neck tawny or cinnamomeous, streaked with black 

 above, otherwise much like adult males, or else with under parts 

 cinnamomeous. ^ 



Nidification. — Nest made of fuie roots and grass and suspended 

 in a fork; eggs white or greenish-white. 



a According to Dr. Sclater M. pygvura has only 10 rectrices, and a specimen of 

 M. cinereiventris apparently has only 10. 

 & I have not seen females of 31. cinereiventris nor of M. assimilis. 



