BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 169 



at base, 7.9-8.4 (S.l): tarsus, 23.6-27.2 (25.1); middle toe, 10-17.5 

 (16.5).^ 



Costa Rica (Angostura; .Jimenez) and southward through western 

 Colombia to western Ecuador (Guayaquil). 



Tachyphomis, sp., Cassin, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila.. 1860, 142 ''Rio Truando, n. 

 Colombia). 



TacJujphonm cassinli Lawrence, Ann. L}^c. Nat. Hist. N. Y., vii, 1861, 297 (Lion 

 Hill, Panama R. R. ; coll. G. N. Lawrence); ix, 1868,101 (Angostura, Ccsta 

 Rica).— Frantzius, Journ. fiir Orn., 1869, 299 (Costa Rica). 



Evxometis cassinii Sclater and Salvin, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1864, 351, pi. 30 

 (Lion Hill). — Salvin, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1867, 139 (Santiago, Veragua). 



Eucometis cassini Sclater and Salvin, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1879, 503 (Neche, 

 prov. Antioquia, Colombia). — Salvin and Godman, Biol. Centr.-Am., 

 Aves, i, 1883, 307.— Sclater, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., xi, 1886, 219.— Zeledon, 

 Anal. Mus. Nac. Costa Rica, i, 1887, 110 (Costa Rica).— Ridgway, Proc. U. 

 S. Nat. Mus., xiv, 1891, 473 (Jimenez, Costa Rica; descr. young). 



lEucoinetis'] cassini Sclatek and Salvin, Nom. Av. Neotr., 1873, 23. 



Mitrospingus cassini Bancjs, Proc. New Engl. Zool. Club, ii, 1900, 29 (Loma del 

 Leon, Panama R. R. ). 



Family ICTERID^. 



THE TROTJPIAIS.'^ 



Nine-primaried, coni rostral, acutiplantar Oscines without obvious 

 rictal l)ristles.^ 



Bill very variable as to relative length and thickness, but never con- 

 spicuously longer than the head and always more or less conical and 

 acute; usually with nearly straight outlines. ))ut sometimes with the 

 tip rather strongly, ])ut never (except in some Qn!s<'<(I!) abruptly, 

 decurved; its depth at base never ecjual to distance from nostril to tip 

 of maxilla, and thegonys always more or less shorter than the same 

 measurement; culmen usually more or less elevated basally, some- 

 times expanded or swollen into a conspicuous ""frontal shield" or 



^ Three specimens, all from Isthmus of Panama. An adult female from Guayaquil 

 is smaller than any of the Panama specimens, measuring as follows: Wing, 83.6; 

 tail, 71.9; exposed culmen, 17.3; depth of lull at base, 8.1; tarsus, 26.2; middle toe, 

 16.8. I can detect no differences in coloration. 



'^A satisfactory vernacular name for this family has hitherto been wanting. The group 

 has been known by the name of Hang-nests, but only species of certain genera build 

 pensile nests; as the American Orioles or American Starlings, on account of super- 

 ficial resemblance of only a very small percentage of its members to the Old World 

 Orioles (Oriolida?) and Starlings (Sturnidfe). Other names which have been used, 

 either for the group as a whole or for particular genera, as Grackle, Crow Blackbird, 

 etc., are equally nondistinctive or of limited jjertinence. The name Troupial, which 

 is here adopted^ has more general aj^plicability than any other term, with jjossibly 

 the exception of Cacique, but it seems best to restrict the latter to the grouj) to which 

 it specially belongs. 



^ These are faintly developed, however, in the oropendolas and caciques (genera 

 Ocijalus, Clypicterus, Zarhynclius, (hjmnostinops, Cacicus, etc.). 



