438 BULLETIN 50, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Genus LEGATUS Sclater. 



Legatiis Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1859, 40. (Type, Trjrannns albicoUis 

 Vieillot.) 



Rather small or medium sized Tyrannidfr (wing 80-92 mm.) with 

 tarsus not longer than middle toe without claw, width of bill at frontal 

 antifB nearly equal to distance from nostril to tip of maxilla, tail only 

 slightly more than two-thirds as long as wing, the under parts con- 

 spicuously streaked with grayish on a yellowish white or pale yellow 

 ground, a broad white superciliary stripe, and concealed yellow patch 

 on crown. 



Bill very short and broad, less than half as long as head, its w^idth at 

 frontal anti?e nearly equal to distance from nostril to tip of maxilla, 

 exceeding length of gonys, and about twice its depth at same point, 

 rather broadly triangular in vertical profile, with lateral outlines 

 nearly straight; exposed culmen decidedly shorter than middle toe 

 without claw, distinctly ridged, straight for basal two-thirds (ap'^rox- 

 imately) then strongly decurved, the tip of maxilla not strongly unci- 

 nate; gonys shorter than mandibular rami, faintly convex; maxillary 

 tomium nearly straight, minutely and indistinctly notched subter- 

 minally. Nostril partly exposed, rather large, oblique, overhung by 

 rather broad membrane, this, however, covered by short latero-frontal 

 feathering except portion above anterior end of nostril. Rictal bris- 

 tles small, and feathers of chin and malar and frontal antise with 

 small, very inconspicuous, bristly points. Wing long and pointed, 

 the longest primaries exceeding secondaries by nearly twice the length 

 of tarsus; ninth primary longest, eighth slightly shorter, the tenth 

 (outermost) intermediate between sixth and seventh. Tail slightly 

 more than two-thirds as long as wing (a little longer than distance 

 from bend of wing to end of distal secondaries), even or very slightly 

 double-rounded. Tarsus less than one-fifth as long as wing, stout, its 

 scutellation typically exaspidean, the acrotarsial divisions distinct; 

 middle toe, with claw, equal to tarsus, its basal phalanx united for 

 most of its length to outer toe, for about half its length to inner toe; 

 outer toe, without claw, reaching about to middle of subterminal pha- 

 lanx of middle toe, the inner toe slightly shorter; hallux as long as 

 inner toe or very slightly shorter, decidedly, but not conspicuoush^, 

 stouter, its claw decidedly shorter than the digit ; all the claws rather 

 small (especially that of the hallux), slightly curved, moderately 

 sharp and compressed. 



Coloration. — Above grayish brown, the cro\vn with a concealed spot 

 of yellow, the larger wing-coverts and secondaries with narrow pale 

 edgings; a broad superciliary stripe of dull white; under parts grayish 

 white anteriorly passing into pale yellow on under parts of body, the 

 chest and sides broadly streaked with light grayish. 



