BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. iO 



Genus PIRANGA Vieillot. 



Piranga Yieili.ot, Oi.s. Am. Sept., i, 1807, ji. iv. (Type, Mmdcapa rubra 



Linnieus. ) 

 Pyranga (emendation) Vieillot, Analyse, 1816, 32. 

 Phanuoma Swainsox, Classif. Birds, ii, 1837, 284. (Type, by elimination, 



Tanajra rubra Linn£eus,== Pyranga eyrfhromelds Vieillot. ) 

 Phmrirnsoma (emendation) Cabanis, Mus. Hein;, i, 1850, 24. 



Medium .sized or rather small Tanagers with expose'd culmen not 

 shorter than middle toe, without claw; bill rather ntout to very stout, 

 more or less swollen, the maxillary tomiuni with more or less of a 

 median tooth or else the plumage unieolored (red in adult mules, yel- 

 lowish in adult females and young); adult males with at least the 

 head red. 



Bill subconical, decidedly longer than broad or deep at l)aso, the 

 culmen more or less strongly curved and uncinate at tip; exposed 

 culmen loss than two-thirds to nearly as long as tarsus, distinctly 

 ridged, gradually convex from base or nearly straight for basal half 

 or more; gonys nearly (sometimes quite) twice as long as mandibular 

 rami, nearly as long as maxilla from nostril, nearly or quite straight; 

 maxillary tomium distinctly notched subterminally, then gently con- 

 cave or nearly straight, usually with a more or less distinct tooth- 

 like projection in or near middle portion; mandil)ular tomium nearly 

 straight, or somewhat convex near tip, the basal portion rather 

 abruptly deflected, or sometimes even distinctly angulated. Nostril 

 exposed, rather large, oval or roundish, sometimes slightly pointed 

 anteriorly, in anterior end of nasal fossa\ Rictal bristles oln'ious ))ut 

 not conspicuous. Wing moderate or long (about three and two-thirds 

 to five and one-third times as long as tarsus), pointed (ninth to seventh 

 or sixth primaries longest, the ninth longer than sixth) or rounded 

 (eighth to fifth primaries longest, ninth shorter than fourth); pri- 

 maries exceeding secondaries by more than length of tarsus, except 

 in round-winged species. Tail shorter than wing l)y not less than 

 half length of tarsus, sometimes by much more than length of tarsus; 

 emarginate, even or slightly rounded, slightly divaricate terminally, 

 the rectrices of medium width, rounded at tips. Tarsus equal to or 

 longer than middle toe with claw; lateral claws reaching about to base 

 of middle claw, or falling slightly short; hind claw decidedly shorter 

 than its digit, strongly curved. 



Coloration.— Adu\t males with more or less of red (sometimes wholly 

 red) with or without l)lack wings and tail, the wings sometimes with 

 white, yellow, or reddish bands. Adult females with red replaced by 

 olive-greenish above, yellowish beneath, the wing pattern as in the 

 male. Young streaked beneath (always in first plumage. 



