BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 399 



the distance from nostril to tip of maxilla), basal phalanx of middle 

 toe wholly, or almost wholly, imited to outer toe and about halfway 

 united to inner toe, and crown with a partially concealed patch of 

 yellow or yellowish white. 



Bill small and narrow (about half as hmg as head, its wHdth at 

 frontal antite equal to less than two-thirds the distance from nostril 

 to tip of maxilla and not much, if an}^, greater than its depth at same 

 point), narrowly triangular or wedge-shaped, with practically straight 

 lateral outlines in vertical profile; exposed culmen little, if any, 

 longer (sometimes slightly shorter) than inner toe without claw, 

 distinctly, almost sharply, ridged, straight for most of its length, 

 slightly decurved terminally, the tip of maxilla not distinctly unci- 

 nate; gonys much longer than mandibular rami, faintly convex or 

 nearly straight. Nostril nearly circular, margined at least above by 

 narrow membrane, sometimes with narrow membrane all round, 

 except at lower-anterior margin. Rictal bristles obvious, but weak, 

 the feathers of chin and frontal antia? with rather distinct, though 

 small, bristly points. Wing moderate, rather pointed, with longest 

 primaries exceeding secondaries by more than length of middle toe 

 without, but b}^ less than middle toe with, claw; seventh and eighth 

 or eighth and ninth primaries longest, the tenth (outermost) longer 

 than fourth, sometimes equal to fifth. Tail nearly as long as wing 

 (much longer than distance from bend of wing to end of secondaries),' 

 even or slightly double-rounded, the rectrices widening terminally 

 (except in M. cotta). Tarsus more than one-fourth but less than 

 one-third as long as wing, slender, its scutella distinct and t}^)ically 

 exaspidean; middle toe, without claw, a little more to decidedly more 

 than half as long as tarsus, its basal phalanx wholly or for much the 

 greater part united to outer toe, united for about half its length to 

 inner toe; outer toe, without claw, reaching to beyond middle of 

 subterminal phalanx of middle toe, the inner toe decidedly shorter; 

 hallux about as long as inner toe or slighth^ shorter, its claw shorter 

 than the digit; all the claws moderately curved, compressed. 



Coloration. — Above plain olive or olive-green, passing into dusky 

 olive, or slate-gray streaked with dusky, on pileum, the crown with a 

 partly concealed patch of lemon yellow or yellowish white; middle 

 and greater wing-coverts sometimes tipped with pale yellow or yel- 

 lowish white ; under parts grayish white anteriorly, passing into light 

 yellow or yellowish wliite posteriorly. 



Range. — Southern Mexico to Peru, Bolivia, southeastern Brazil, 

 and Guiana; one species peculiar to Jamaica. (About eight species 

 and subspecies.) 



