BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 103 



[Phoenicosoma^ erythrocephalum Giebel, Thesaurun Orn., iii, 1876, 110. 

 Pyranga meiillata T>v Bus, Bull. Ac. Roy. Brux., xiv, pt. 2, 1847, 105 (Mexico; 



coll. Brussels Mus.) ; Rev. Zool., 1848, 245.— Bonaparte, Consp. Av., i, 



1850, 241. 



Genus HETEROSPINGUS Ridgway. 



Heterospingus Ridgway, Auk, xv, no. 3. July (pub. May 13), 1898, 225. (Type, 

 Tachyphonus rubrifrons Lawrence. ) 



Similar to Tacliyplionm^ but nasal foss^ densely feathered, concealing 

 the nostrils; tail relatively much shorter, wing more pointed, tarsus 

 shorter (scarcely exceeding middle toe with claw), and sexes either 

 alike in color or nearl}^ so in pattern of coloration. 



Exposed culmen about six-sevenths as long as tarsus, straight for 

 more than basal half, then strongly curved to the slightly uncinate 

 tip; gonys much shorter than length of maxilla from nostril, slightly 

 convex; depth of bill at base equal to decidedly more than half the 

 distance from nostril to tip of maxilla, about equal to its basal width; 

 maxillary tomium concave anteriorly and subl)asally, faintly convex 

 between, distinctl}' notched subterminally and slightly deflected ba- 

 sally; mandibular tomium straight, the basal portion slightly convex 

 and deflected. Nostril concealed by dense feathering of nasal foss?e, 

 horizontall}^ oval. Rictal bristles scarcely obvious. Wing long (about 

 four times as long as tarsus), slightly rounded (eighth to sixth pri- 

 maries longest and nearly equal, ninth a little shorter than flfth); pri- 

 maries exceeding secondaries by nearly the length of the tarsus. Tail 

 shorter than wing by length of tarsus, slightly double-rounded, the 

 rectrices broad, with compact webs and rounded tips. Tarsus stout, 

 very slightly longer tiian middle toe with claw; lateral claws reaching 

 about to base of middle claw, the inner toe a little shorter than the 

 outer; hind claw shorter than its digit — all the claws strongly curved 

 and sharp. 



Coloration. — Rump bright ^^ellow, underwing-co verts and patch on 

 each side of breast white; rest of plumage black, with orange-red 

 supra-auricular tufts (77! xanthopyglm^ adult male), or dark slate-gray 

 above, lighter gray beneath {II. xantJiopygius, female, and both sexes 

 of II rubrifron£). 



Range. — Costa Rica to Colombia. (Two species.) 



KEY TO THE SPECIES OP HETEROSPINGUS. 



o. General color black, more sooty beneath; supra-auricular tufts orange-red. 

 (Colombia and western Ecuador.) 



Heterospingus xanthopygius, adult male (p. 104) 

 aa. General color slate-gray above, paler gray below; no supra-auricular tufts. 

 (Isthmus of Panama to Costa Rica. ) 



Heterospingus rubrifrons, adult male and female (p. 104) 

 Heterospingus xanthopygius, female.' 



^Not having seen the female of H. xanthopygius, I am unable to state in what 

 particulars, if any, it differs from //. rubrifrons. 



