530 BULLETIN 50, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



secondaries by more than length of tarsus; eighth primary longest, the 

 seventh and ninth very little shorter, the tenth (outermost) equal 

 to or shorter than fifth. Tail eight-ninths as long as wing to very 

 nearly as long (always longer than distance fi^om bend of wing to end 

 of distal secondaries), emarginate {B. carihseus, B. haJiamensis) , even 

 or very slightly double-rounded (B. palUdus, B. hlancoi), slightly 

 rounded (B. hrunneicapUlus) or decidedly rounded {B. latirostris) , 

 rather distinctly divaricate, the rectrices widening terminally. Tarsus 

 longer than exposed culmen, one-fifth to much more than one-fifth 

 as long as wing, its scutellation typically (almost ultra) exaspidean, 

 with divisions of acrotarsium distinct; middle toe, without claw, 

 more than half as long as tarsus (very slightly more in B. carihseus), 

 its basal phalanx united to outer toe for nuich the greater part of its 

 length, to inner toe for about half its length; outer toe, without claw, 

 reaching to or beyond middle of subterminal phalanx of middle toe, 

 the inner toe more or less distinctly shorter; hallux about as long as 

 inner toe, not conspicuously stouter, its claw shorter than its digit; 

 all the claws strongly curved, sharp, much compressed. 



Coloration. — Above plain olive, becoming darker (sometimes nearly 

 black) on pileum, the wings dusky with paler edgings ; beneath paler 

 olive, passing into dull grayish white or pale gray on throat and dull 

 pale yellowish on abdomen, sometimes strongly suffused with fidvous, 

 in one species wholly cinnamon-rufous. 



Nidification. — Nest (of B. carihseus) saddled on horizontal branch, 

 composed of rootlets, horsehair, etc., lined with feathers, plant-down, 

 etc., and ornamented exteriorly with moss or lichens.'^ Eggs (of 

 B. carihseus) pale buff or cream color, spotted with brown, etc. 



Range. — West Indies (Bahamas, Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, Porto Rico, 

 Dominica, Guadeloupe, Grenada, Martinique, and Santa Lucia). 

 (Nine species.) 



If this group is to be recognized as generically distinct from Myio- 

 chanes it must be restricted to the West Indian species, for in no other 

 way can it be characterized ; even thus restricted its satisfactory defi- 

 nition is very difficult, and I have strong doubts as to whether its 

 distinctness can really be maintained. Possibly a better arrangement 

 would be to place the B. haliamensis , B. carihseus, B. hisjxinioJensis, 

 and B. palUdus in Myiochanes and make a new genus (the type of 

 Blacicus being B. carihseus, and therefore if tliis procedure be adopted 

 Blacicus becomes a synonym of Myiochanes) for B. hlancoi, B. hrun- 

 neicapUlus, and B. latirostris, the precise relationships of B . fiaviventris 

 being as yet uncertain. 



O' Gundlach, Orn. Cubana, 1895, 87, 



