BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 223 



basal phalanx of middle toe united for more than half its length to 

 lateral toes; claws moderate to rather large, strongly curved, that of 

 hallux decidedly shorter than the digit. 



Coloration. — Above brown, usually darker and duller (sometimes 

 moi'e grayish) on pileum and hindneck, the tail and upper tail-coverts 

 chestnut or chestnut-brow^n; under parts brown or olive, more or less 

 distinctly streaked with tawny, ochraceous, or huffy — the pileum and 

 hindneck, or even the back, sometimes similarly streaked. Sexes 

 alike. 



Nidification. — Unknown ? 



Range.— Cost[i Rica to Ecuador (to Peru, Bolivia, and southeastern 

 Brazil?*). (Several species.*^) 



RHOPOCTITES RUFOBRUNNEUS (Lawrence). 



STREAKED AUTOMOLUS. 



Adults (sexes alike). — Pileum and hindneck dark grayish brown or 

 brownish gray, the feathers margmed with blackish; back, scapulars, 

 and wdngs deep w\arm-sepia or mummy brown, passing into chestnut 

 on lower rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail, the shafts of rectrices 

 much darker; lores mixed dusky and grayish; suborbital and auricular 

 regions streaked with dusky and dull ochraceous or light brownish; 

 malar region, sides of neck (anteriorly), chin, and throat ochraceous 

 (more or less deep), the feathers more or less distinctly edged or 

 narrowly margined with dusky olive or blackish; rest of under parts 

 light tawny-olive, more olive on chest, where more or less broadly 

 streaked with ochraceous, usually more ochraceous on abdomen, the 

 under tail-coverts more rufescent; under wing-coverts tawny-ochra- 

 ceous, the inner w^ebs of remiges broadly edged with pale ochraceous- 

 buff or deep pinkish buff; bill black, the mandible usually brownish 

 basally; legs and feet horn color (in dried skins). 



oThe above diagnosis and description are based exclusively on Philydor rufo- 

 brunneus Lawrence and Automolus ignobilis Sclater and Salvin, but several other 

 species referred to Automolus by Sclater and others seem to be nearly related and 

 perhaps are — some of them at least — congeneric. These are: Automolus ferrugino- 

 lentus (Maximilian), A. holostictus Sclater and Salvin, A. striaticcps Taczanowski, A. 

 subulatus (Spix) and A. stictoptilus (Cabanis), none of which have been examined 

 by me. 



Rhopoctites ignobilis differs considerably from R. rufo-briinneus (type of the genus) 

 in shorter, deeper, and relatively more compressed bill, and, apparently, in relatively 

 shorter tail: but the differences are within the usual normal limits of variation. 



