174 BULLETIN 50, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



d. Longest tertials not produced beyond secondaries; outer toe (without claw) 



reaching l)cvon(l subterminal joint of middle toe. 



e. Nostril small, roundish, much encroached upon l)eneath by feathering of 



the loral antiic; parasitic. {Moloihri.) 



f. Neck ruffed laterally and behind (as in Cassidlx); inner webs of three 



outer primaries abruptly emarginated and angularly toothed; plumage 



of neck, breast, etc., peculiar (hair-like) Callothrus (p. 200) 



ff. Neck not ruffed; inner webs of primaries only slightly sinuated ; iilumage 



of neck, breast, etc., normal (blended) Molothrus (p. 205) 



ec. Nostril larger, narrower, more or less linear, oblong, or subcuneate, well 

 forward of the loral antise; nonparasitic. 

 /. (Oilmen more or less strongly and a])ruptly decurved terminally, orelse 



(1) bill stout and obtuse and ninth primary shorter than second, or 



(2) culmen less than one-fifth as long as tail, the latter longer than 

 wing and much graduated. ( Qnlsntli. ) 



(J. Ninth primary not shorter than third, usually longer. 



Ii. Tail plicate^ and graduated (distance between tips of lateral and 

 middle rectrices greater, usually much more, than distance from 

 nostril to tip of maxilla). 

 ?'. Median palatal ridge truncated, angulateil, and highest ante- 

 riorly Quiscalus (p. 212) 



ii Median palatal ridge beveled anteriorly, highest in middle. 

 j. Graduation of tail less than one-third (about one-fourth) its 



length; tail much shorter than wing Holoquiscalus (p. 222) 



jj. (Traduation of tail more than one-third its length; tail nearly 



as long as wing (sometimes longer) . .Megaquiscalus (ji. 2o.'>) 



hit. Tail not plicate, slightly rounded or nearly even, the difference 



between tips of lateral and middle rectrices less than distance 



from nostril to tip of maxilla. 



i. Ninth j>rimary e(iual to sixth or longer; plumage of neck and 



chest normal (smooth); bill more slender, its depth at base 



decidedly less than length of gonys Scolecophagus (p. 244) 



ii. Ninth primary shorter than sixth (equal to fifth) ; plumage of 

 neck and chest peculiar (hair-like); bill stouter, its depth at 



base nearly equal to length of gonys Ptiloxena (p. 251) 



{jg. Ninth primary shorter than second Dives (p. 253) 



/'. Culmen nearly straight, or if obviously decurved terminally the curve 

 very gradual and the bill slender and acute. 

 g. Nasal fossa) broader and more rounded anteriorly, with nasal opercu- 

 lum larger; tarsi and toes relatively shorter and stouter; arboreal. 



(Icferi) Icterus (p. 255) 



gg. Nasal fosste narrower, sometimes obtusely angled, anteriorly, with 

 nasal operculum smaller; tarsi and toes relatively longer and more 

 slender; terrestrial and paludicoline. {Agclaii.) 

 h. Ninth primary not longer than sixth (usually shorter); lateral 

 claws not reaching beyond base of middle claw. 



^Capable of liaving the lateral halves folded together, the outer edges upward, so 

 that a transverse section would be V-shaped. This character is very strongly marked 

 in Quiscalus, Holoquiscalus, and Megaquiscalus, and possibly the group Quiscali should 

 be restricted to these genera. Unfortunately this character is not evident in dried 

 skins, and therefore we are as yet ignorant as to whether it exists in Pseudaghvus, 

 Macmghrus, and Lampropsar. It certainly does not in Scolecophagus and Plihxena, 

 and probably not in Dives. 



