686 BULLETIN 50, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Melittarchus Cabanis, Journ. fur Orn., Nov., 1855, 477. (Type, Tyrannus viag- 



nirostris D'Orbigny, =T. cubensis Richmond.) 

 {?)Dioctes Reichenbach, Av. Syst. Nat., 1850, pi. 66, fig. (Type, D. pijrrho- 



leema Reichenbach, = Lamus tyrannus Linnaeus?) [No description.] 



Medium-sized to very large Tyrannidse (wing about 100-140 mm.) 

 with tarsus decidedly shorter than middle toe with claw, tips of outer- 

 most primaries more or less attenuated, tail less than three-fourths 

 to nearly seven-eighths as long as wing and never deeply forked, and 

 adults with a concealed crown-patch of yellow^, orange, or orange-red. 



Bill very variable in relative size, sometimes as long as head, some- 

 times much shorter, its width at anterior end of nostrils sometimes 

 ( T. crassirostris) equal to half the length of exposed culmen, usually 

 much less, but always greater than its depth at same point; lateral 

 outlines of bill usually straight or very nearly so, converging uniforndy 

 to the nonconstricted tip, sometimes slightly convex or inflated 

 anterior to middle portion, the tip of maxilla slightly constricted; 

 exposed culmen shorter than tarsus to very much longer, indistinctly 

 ridged, usually straight or very nearly so to near tip, where rather 

 abruptly and strongly decurved, the tip of maxilla strongly uncinate 

 (in T. crassirostris the culmen obviously convex for whole length); 

 gonys less than twice to more than twice as long as mandibular rami, 

 nearly straight or (in T. crassirostris) obviously convex, sometimes 

 (in T. cubensis, T. dominicensis , and T. melancholicus) with a more or 

 less distinct median ridge; maxillary tomium nearly straight for 

 most of its length, but more or less concave and decurved just before 

 the distinct subterminal notch; mandibular tomium distinctly (but 

 sometimes minutel}^) excised subterminally, the tip of mandible acu- 

 minate. Nostril at least partly exposed, rather small, nearly circular, 

 in lower anterior portion of rather broad nasal fossae. Rictal bristles 

 well developed; feathers of chin and frontal antite with distinct, 

 slender bristly points, the former recurved, the latter arching over 

 nostrils; malar antise, with distinct antrorse or semierect bristles. 

 Wing long and pointed, the longest primaries exceeding distal second- 

 aries by less than one-fourth to a little more than one-third the total 

 length of wing; eighth and ninth, seventh, eighth and ninth, sixth, 

 seventh, eighth and ninth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth, or 

 seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth primaries longest and nearly eciual, 

 the tenth (outermost) always (?) longer than fourth, sometimes 

 equal to longest; all these longer primaries attenuated terminally, 

 especially in males. Tail less than three-fourths to nearly seven- 

 eighths as long as wing, slightly rounded, even, or more or less- deeply 

 emarginate (almost forked in T. alhogularis) . Tarsus decidedly 

 ■ shorter than middle toe with claw (but decidedly longer than toe 

 without claw), a little more than one-seventh to less than one-sixth 

 as long as wing, stout, its scutellation typically exaspidean, the 

 acrotarsial scutella distinct and usually occupying the entire outer 



