BIHDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLl-: AMERICA. 18B 



Altogether al)ou'. fifty species and subspecies and fourteen g(>nera 

 are known 



KEY TO TIIK C.ENKRA OF MIMID.t. 



a Outcnnosl (Iculh) prhaary not .non. than two-lluras as long as longest s,H-.,mlarios, 

 Vsuallv about half, sometimes less than half, as long; nctal bnst es obvions, 

 usually well developed; bill terete, visv.ally more or loss decurved terminal y 

 (sometimes strongly so), not deeper than broad at frontal anti.e; tai.us relaUve y 

 narrower, its width at middh^ less tlum on.-ninth its length; no yellow in plum- 

 age. (Miynimr.) _ , , ic •, i n, 

 b A large naked space on side of „e<k; tail graduated lor nearly half its eirgth 

 "■ " ' Donacobius (extralimital)." 

 lb. No naked space on side of ne.-k; tail graduated for less than <.ne-fourth its 



length. , , , . 



c Tail lon-er than distance from bend of wing to f.p ot longest secondaries. 

 ■ d. Middle toe (without claw ) not more than two-thirds as long as tarsus (usually 



e. iSth (outermost) primary at least half as long as ninth, tin- latter shorter 



than fifth. . 



f No trace of subterminal notch to maxillary tomium; bill sometimes 



strongly decurved terminally Toxostoma (p. 184) 



/r. V more or less distinct sul)terminal notch to maxillary tomium; bill 



never strongly decurved. 



y Rectrices broader, their width equal to nearly (or more than) on.- 



fifth their length; general color grayish blue or glossy black. 



h Bill relatively larger, the exposed culmen much longer than middle 



toe without claw; ninth primary shorter than secondaries ; leathers 



of pileum distinctly outlined; color grayish blue or bluish gray, 



with or without white or under parts Melanotis (p. 209) 



hh Bill relatively smaller, the exposed culmen shorter than middle 

 toe without claw; ninth primary equal to or longer than third; 

 feathers of pileum blended; color entirely glossy black. 



Melanoptila (p. 21 o) 

 gg. Rectrices narrower, their width less than one-sevc-nth their length; 

 general color neither grayish blue nor glossy black. 

 7, Tf^rth (outermost) primary larger, half as long as seventh, the 

 ninth not longer than first; upper parts entirely plain brown . 



Mimodes (p. 215) 



hh Tenth (outermost) primary smaller, less than half as long as eighth, 



the ninth longer than second; upper parts not entirely brown. 



i Tarsus shorter, the middle toe (without claw) much mor.' than 



three-fifths (ab.nit two-thirds) as long; bill stouter, the nostril 



broader. 



^^^^^a^i^b^^^T^^^^^^y^ool. Illustr., 2d ser., ii, 1831-32, pi. 72. (Type, i>. voci- 

 ferans Swains,m, = Ttu-rf».s alricapillus Linna^is.) Conlin.-d to tropu.d South America, 

 •where represented by two forms. ,,. . , ., .,.,,ii ,,- 



Additional characters of Donacohius not shared by other Mimida. are the pe iba 

 proportions of the toes, the lat<>ral one^ V,eing equal and both extending (without 

 claw) decidedly beyond the subterminal joint ..f the middle toe, and the much elon- 

 gated hallux, which cpiite equals the lateral toes in length; very f "'"t P;'"^'^; J ;' 

 longest extending beyond the longest secondaries by much less than half the k , 

 of the middle toe (without claw); excessive graduation of the tail the di feienc. n 

 len-th between the lateral and middle rectrices equally the length of the tarsus, 

 latter, owing to abbreviation of the primaries, being two-fifths as long as the wing. 



