214 BULLETIN 50, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



the outer slightly beyond; hallux shorter than inner toe; basal 

 phalanx of middle toe adherent to that of outer toe for jibout the 

 l:)asal half, to that of inner toe iit base only; claws normal as to size 

 and curvature. 



Coloratmn. — Plumage entirely glossy black. 



Nidification. — ( Unknown.) 



Range. — Coast district (including islands) of Yucatan, British 

 Honduras, and northern Honduras. (Monotypic.) 



MELANOPTILA GLABRIROSTRIS Sclater. 

 BLACK CATBIRD. 



Adult male. — Uniform glossy violaceous-black, rather duller on 

 under parts (especially on abdomen, sides, and flanks), the wings 

 and tail glossy greenish black; bill black; iris brown; legs and feet 

 black or blacldsh browm (in dried skins), with soles of toes paler 

 (sometimes yellowish); length (skins), 195-215 (204); wing, 88-93 

 (90.3); tail, 89-97 (93); exposed culmen, 16.5-21.5 (19.2); tarsus, 

 26.5-30 (28); middle toe, 18-20 (18.9).^ 



Adult female. — Frequently indistinguishable from the adult male, 

 but usually slightly duller in color (the black of under parts. some- 

 times very faintly glossy), and averaging smaller; length (skins), 

 188-205 (197) ; wing, 86-97 (88.6) ; tail, 81-94 (-87.6) ; exposed culmen, 

 16-20 (17.9); tarsus, 26-30 (27.6); middle toe, 17-19 (18.4). '^ 



Coast district of Yucatan (including Holbox, Mujeres, and Cozumel 

 islands, etc.), and southward tlu'ough British Honduras (Belize; Half 

 Moon Cay; Corosal; Lighthouse Reef; Glovers Reef) to northern coast 

 of Honduras (Omoa). 



Melanoptila glabrirostris Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1857, 275, figs. (Omoa, 

 Honduras; coll. P. L. Sclater); 1859, 337 (monogr.); Cat. Am. Birds, 1862, 7 

 (Omoa).— Sclater and Salvin, Ibis, 1859, 7 (Omoa).— Moore, Proc. Zool. 

 Soc. Lond., 1859, 55 (Omoa).— S.\lvin, Ibis, 1864, 380 (Lighthouse and Glov- 

 ers Reefs, British Honduras); 1885, 187 (Cozumel I., Yucatan).— Baird, Re- 



a Fourteen specimens. 



b Kine specimens. 



Specimens from different localities average, respectively, as follows: 



Locality. 



Tarsus. 



Middle 

 toe. 



M.\LES. 



Six adult males from Cozumel Island 



Six aduU males from Mujeres Island 



Two adult males from mainland of Yucatan. 



FEMALES. 



Three adult females from Cozumel Island 



Five adult females from Mujeres Island 



One adult female from mainland of Yucatan 



28. ;5 

 28.1 

 26.5 



28.2 

 27.4 

 26.5 



19.1 



19 



18.2 



18.7 

 18.3 

 18 



