6 BULLETIN 50, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Bill much shorter than head (exposed culmen about as long as 

 hallux, without claw), narrowly conoidal in lateral profile, its depth 

 at base of exposed culmen equal to less than half the length of the 

 latter; culmen flattened, very slightly to moderately decurved 

 terminally, more or less distinctly depressed in middle portion, the 

 basal half (mesorhinium) more compressed and more or less dis- 

 tinctly elevated or arched; gonys longer than mandibular rami, 

 more than half as long as exposed culmen, rounded, slightly but 

 distinctly convex; maxillary tomium more or less distinctly notched 

 subterminally. Nostril narrowly cuneate or linear, longitudinal, 

 overhung by a broad operculum. No rictal, frontal, nor mental 

 bristles. Wing excessively rounded, very concave beneath; sixth, 

 fifth, and seventh primaries longest (nearly equal in length), the 

 tenth (outermost) more than half as long as the longest; all the 

 remiges very broad, rather soft in texture; longest secondaries ex- 

 tending beyond tip of ninth primary. Tail decidedly to much shorter 

 than wing to end of secondaries, excessively graduated, the rectrices (10 

 in number) very broad, soft, with webs semi-decomposed. Tarsus 

 much less than half as long as wing (about twice as long as bill), its 

 scutellation taxaspidean or semi-holaspidean (the outer series 

 of plantar scutella much broader than the inner); middle toe, 

 without claw, decidedly shorter than tarsus (about as long or 

 slightly longer with claw); lateral toes about equal in length, 

 reaching (without claw) to or very slightly beyond penultimate 

 articulation of middle toe; hallux (without claw) longer than 

 lateral toes and much stouter, its strongly arched claw shorter 

 than the digit; outer toe united to middle toe only at extreme 

 base, the inner toe entirely separated. Plumage compact but very 

 soft (almost silky), that of the rump and flanks more elongated 

 and lax. 



Coloration. — Adult males nearly uniform gray or dusky, with hinder 

 parts more or less rufescent and (usually) barred, sometimes with 

 the forehead silvery gray, some species with throat or throat and 

 breast white; adult females similar but duller in color and more 

 barred; young very different, rusty or brown prevailing, conspicu- 

 ously barred. 



Nidijication. — "The nest is placed in a mass of moss on a bank; 

 it is also composed entirely of moss. The female lays two eggs, 

 large for the size of the bird, and white." {S. magellanicus Salmon, 

 Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1879, 528.) 



Range. — High mountains of Costa Rica to Falldand Islands, south- 

 ern Chile and Argentina, southeastern Brazil, and mountains of Vene- 

 zuela. (About eighteen species and subspecies known.) 



