104 BULLETIN 50, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



ridged, straight or nearly so for basal half or more, then gradually 

 more and more decurved to the distinctly uncinate tip of maxilla; 

 tomia nearly straight, minutely but distinctly notched subter- 

 minally (more slightly so on mandibular tomium) ; gonys distinctly 

 convex and prominent basally, gently convex or nearly straight and 

 ascending terminally, the tip of mandible forming a minute slightly 

 recurved point. Nostril exposed, separated more or less widely 

 from feathering of latero-frontal antise, longitudinally oval, with an 

 internal tubercle showing distinctly within posterior portion, mar- 

 gined above by a more or less broad extension of the membraneous 

 integument of the nasal fossa. Rictal bristles absent; feathers of 

 chin, etc., without distinct terminal setae, but their webs semi- 

 decomposed, bristle-like. Wing moderate, much rounded, the longest 

 primaries projecting very little (sometimes not at all) beyond second- 

 aries; fourth, fifth and sixth, fifth, sixth and seventh, or fifth and 

 sixth, primaries longest, the tenth (outermost) a little more than 

 half (M. plumhea) to two- thirds {M. houcardi) as long as the longest, 

 the eighth slightly shorter to decidedly longer than secondaries. 

 Tail two-thirds to slightly more than tliree-fourths as long as wing, 

 strongly rounded (graduation equal to less than distance from 

 nostril to tip of maxilla), the rectrices (12) rather narrow to rather 

 broad (M. plumlea), rounded terminally. Tarsus much longer 

 than whole culmen, two-fifths as long as wing or a little more, the 

 acrotarsium distinctly scutellate, the planta fused (nonscutellate) ; 

 middle toe, with claw, much shorter than tarsus; outer toe, without 

 claw, not reaching to middle of subterminal phalanx of middle toe, 

 the inner toe slightly shorter; hallux about as long as inner toe, 

 but much stouter; basal phalanx of middle toe united to outer toe 

 for much the greater part, to inner toe for not more than basal half 

 (for less than basal half in M. houcardi) ; claws moderate in size and 

 curvature, much compressed, that of the hallux decidedly shorter 

 than its digit. Plumage full and blended, that of rump (and to a 

 less extent that of flanks also) much lengthened, more lax; feathers 

 of pileum short and blended in M. plumhea, more elongated and 

 distinctly outlined in other species; rictal and postocular regions 

 naked, the loral and frontal regions more or less scantily feathered. 



Coloration. — (I) Adult males uniform black, including outer sur- 

 face of wings; adult females brown, the head more dusky. (II) 

 Adult male plain slate color, the wing-coverts spotted with white; 

 adult female similar but under parts bright tawny. (Ill) Adult males 

 brown above, the head and neck slate color or olive, the wmg-coverts 

 with or without white spots; under parts gray or slate color, darker 

 (sometimes black) on throat, the flanks bro^vnish; adult females 

 duller, bro\\Tiish or rufescent below, or (in M. Ixmosticta) similar to 

 the male but the black tliroat barred with white. (IV) Adult males 



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