BIRDS OF NORTH A.ND MIDDLE AMERICA. 693 



anyptilasancti-hieronymiSAhviy!, Proc. Zool. Soe. Lond., 1863, 190(SanGer6nimo, 

 Vera Paz, Guatemala; coll. Salvin and Godman). — Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. 

 Loud., 1SG5, G07 (monogr.); Joiirn. fur Orn., 1867, 328.— Salvin, Ibis, 1866, 

 195 (Guatemala; habits); 1874, 188 (breeding habits, etc.). — Baird, Brewer, 

 and RiDowAY, Hist. N. Am. Birds, ii, 1874, 424, footnote. — Salvin and God- 

 man, Biol. Centr.-Am., Aves, ii, 1892, 371 (San Geruninio, ^'olc■an de Fuego, 

 and vicinity of Antigua). 

 anyptila] sancti-hieronymi Sclater and Salvin, Nom. Av. Neotr., 1873, 94. — 

 Sharpe, Hand-list, ii, 1900, 95. 



[Ctjpselus] sancti hieronymi Gray, Hand-list, i, 1869, 64, no. 739. 



Panypiila sanctihicwnijmi Hartert, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., xvi, 1892, 462. 



P[anyptila]sanctihieronymi Hartert, Das Tierreich, Podarg., Caprim., Macropt., 

 1897, S3. 



[Panypiila cayancnsis] var. sanrli-hicronymi Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway, Hist. 

 N. Am. Birds, ii, 1874, 424. 



Genus TACHORNIS Gosse. 

 Tachornis Gosse, Birds Jamaica, 1847, 58. (Type, T. phwnicohia Gosse.) 



Small Mcropodidffi (length about 90-100 mm.) with outer and 

 middle toes inclined outward, inner toe freely reversible, toes naked, 

 and tail forked for much less than half its length, the outermost rec- 

 trices not attenuated terminally. 



Outermost (tenth) primary equal to or shorter than eighth, the 

 ninth longest, the tenth short-acuminate terminally; tail less tlian 

 half as long as wing, forked for much less than half its length, the 

 lateral rectrices not attenuated terminally; tarsus much longer than 

 anterior toes, rather stout, feathered in front; middle toe very slightly 

 longer than lateral toes, the inner toe freely reversible; toes naked. 

 (Unique among ^Micropodinte in character of sternum.'^) 



Coloration (of American species). — Above sooty blackish, lighter on 

 head and neck; a white patch on each side of rump; throat and abdo- 

 men dull whitish, rest of under parts sooty. 



Nidijication. — Nest placed mthin a hollow spathe or attached to 

 under side of a frond of a palm tree, composed of feathers and plant- 

 down or other soft vegetable fiber (usually down of the Bonibax or 

 silk-cotton tree), fu^mly glued to its support by salivary secretion, the 

 materials of the inner portion also densely felted together with tlie 

 same substance. 



KEY TO THE SUBSPECIES OP TACHORNIS PHCENICOBIA. 



a. Back black, decidedly darker than pileum; sides nearly black, abruptly contrasted 

 with white of abdomen; tail less deeply forked. (Jamaica; Haiti.) 



Tachornis phcenicobia phcenicobia (p. 694). 



aa. Back dark sooty brown, little darker than pileum; sides dark sooty brown, fading 



gradually into (or at least not abruptly contrasted with) white of abdomen; tail 



more deeply forked. (Cuba.) Tachornis phcenicobia yradii (p. 695). 



« So far as known, all Micropodinse except Tachornis have the metasternum and 

 carina stemi entire; but (according to Gosse, Birds of Jamaica, p. 59) Tachornis phceni- 

 cobia has not only two large metasterual foramina, but also has an opening through the 

 anterior portion of the keel. 



