652 BULLprnisr 50, united states national museum. 



tomium strongly convex or lobed (sometimes prominent!}' toothed or 

 ant^uhited) between middle and tip, concave subbasally, with or without 

 an obvious notch near tip; mandibular tomium nearly straight for most 

 of its length, or else convex subterminally and concave in middle por- 

 tion, the basal thii-d abruptly deflected, but the angle thus produced not 

 distinctly toothed nor notched. Nostrils small, broadly oval, obliquely 

 vertical or nearly circular, nearly concealed l)y the dense frontal feath- 

 ers, liictal bristles distinct. Wing rather short (a little more than 

 four times as long as the short tarsus), much rounded (eighth to hfth 

 primaries longest, the ninth not longer than fourth, sometimes shorter 

 than second); primaries exceeding secondaries b}' less than length of 

 exposed culmen. Tail about as long as wing, much rounded, the rectri- 

 ces rather broad, with compact webs and rounded but somewhat nar- 

 rowed tips. Tarsus longer than culmen (from extreme base), decidedly 

 longer than middle toe with claw {gromus) or shorter {fuligmo.s(f.-<); 

 lateral claws reaching about to base of middle claw; hallux decidedl\' 

 shorter than lateral toes, its claw shorter than the digit. 



Oolor.'<. — Uniform dark bluish gray or slaty, with white under wing- 

 coverts, and sometimes with white on throat; adult males with chest 

 and more or less of head black. 



Range. — Nicaragua to southeastern Brazil and western Ecuador. 



I have been obliged to eliminate from this genus sundry species 

 which have usually been referred to it, but which appear to be ver}^ 

 difl'erent in structure. These I place among the genera Cari/othranstes, 

 Rhodothraiqyis, and Perlporphyriis. Pltylus^ as thus restricted, seems 

 more nearly related to Cardinalis than to the forms mentioned, the 

 bill being exceedingly similar and the nostrils similarly almost con- 

 cealed b}^ the frontal feathers, although the ver^- different coloration 

 and the absence of a crest in Pitylus give the two genera a very dif- 

 erent appearance. 



PITYLUS GROSSUS (Linnaeus). 

 SLATE-COLORED GROSBEAK. 



Adult male. — General coloi uniform bluish slate; lores, suborbital, 

 auricular, and malar regions, sides of chin and throat, and chest, 

 uniform black; median portion of chin and throat white; under wing- 

 coverts white; wings and tail ])lackish, the wing-coA'erts and second- 

 aries edged (the former broadl}-) with bluish slate; bill wholly- bright 

 red (fading to dull yellowish in dried skins); legs and feet brownish; 

 length (skins), 177.80-187.96 (181.61); wing. 93.22-99.06 (97.03); tail, 

 78.23-86.36 (81.03); culmen, from base, 19.30-21.59 (20.32); depth of 

 bill at base, 15.00-17.00 (16.50); tarsus, 21.84-23.62 (22.86); middle 

 toe, 15.21-17.27 (16.00).^ 



Adult female. — Similar to adult male ])ut without any black on head 

 or chest, and slate-color of under parts paler, more grayish: length 



^ Seven specimens. 



