BIRDS OF NOKTII AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 79^ 



Genus ELAINOPSIS Ridgway. 



Elainopsis a Ridgwav, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., xviii, Sept. 2, 1905, 210. (Typo, 

 Elainea elegans Pelzeln, = Miiscicapara gaimardii D'Orbigny ?) 



Siij^erficiallA' resembling the Tyrannine genera Elaenia Sundevall 

 and Myiojyagis Salvin and Godman,biit tarsal envelope pycnaspidean 

 and basal phalanx of middle toe wholh^ united to outer toe. ' 



Bill much shorter than head, narrowly conoid or wedge-shaped, itS 

 width at frontal antise slightly less than half the length of exposed 

 culmen but decidedly greater than its depth at same point; exposed 

 culmen longer than middle toe without claw, straight for basal half- 

 or more, then gradually decurved to the distinctly but rather minutely 

 uncinate tip ; gonys decidedly shorter than distance from nostril to tip 

 of maxilla, slightly but distinctly convex. Nostril exposed, small, 

 roundish or longitudinally oval, surrounded by membrane except for 

 anterior half. Rictal bristles small and slender, but distinct. Wing 

 moderate, rounded, the longest primaries exceeding distal second- 

 aries by about length of exposed culmen; seventh and eighth, or 

 seventh, eighth, and ninth, primaries longest, the tenth (outermost) 

 about equal to fourth. Tail nearly as long as wing (longer than dis- 

 tance from bend of wing to end of secondaries) , emarginate or double- 

 rounded, the rectrices widening slightly terminally, wdth tip broadly 

 rounded. Tarsus nearly twice as long as middle toe without claw 

 (less than one-third as long as wing), its scutellation quasi-pycnas- 

 pidean, the acrotarsium extending only about halfway across outer 

 side of tarsus, the planta tarsi covered with nonscu^ellate integu- 

 ment except along the posterior median ridge where showing slight 

 granulations or small and indistinct papillae; outer toe (without claw) 

 decidedl}" shorter than middle toe, the inner toe decidedly shorter 

 than outer; basal phalanx of middle toe almost wholly uniLcd to outer 

 toe, about half adherent to inner toe; hallux (without claw) about as 

 long as inner toe, but much stouter, its claw well developed but 

 shorter than the digit. 



Coloration. — Olive above, becoming darker on pileum, which has a 

 median patch (more or less concealed) of white or pale yellow; wing 

 dusky with middle and greater wing-coverts broadly tipped or ter- 

 minally edged with light olive-yellowish, the secondaries edged with 

 same; under parts light j^ellow, passing into light olive on chest and 

 sides of breast, this into pale grayish on throat and chin. Young 

 without white or yellow on crown, the general color of pileum soft 

 grayish brown. 



Nidifi cation. — Unknown. 



Range. — Panama to southern Brazil. (Monotj'pic? ^) 



tt Elainea, a genus of Tyrannidse;-!- oipii;, aspect. 



b Whether any other species commonly referred to Elaenia or Myiopagis belongs in 

 Elainopsis or not, I do not know; certainly none of those which I have examined do. 



