324 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



(?. Color brown above (usually streaked with darker on top of head), the 

 rump yellowish or tawn}^, in marked contrast ; lower pai-ts more or 

 less distinctly streaked anteriorly, on a light grayish or olive-yel- 

 lowish ground ; wing not more than four times as long as exposed 

 cvilmen, decidedly less than four times as long as tarsus; culmen 

 more or less distinctly concave in middle portion, and cutting-edge 

 of upper mandible correspondingly convex, the bill being thus 

 somewhat recurved ; tip of bill very abruptly and strongly hooked, 



Attila} 



Genus PLATYPSARIS Sclater.* (Page 323, pi. XCV., fig. 3.) 



8'pecies. 



Common Characters. — Adult males : Above nearly uniform grayish or black- 

 ish, the top of head always darker than back (or else the latter black also) ; beneath 

 varying from deep slate-gray to nearly pure white, the chest (sometimes lower 

 throat also) usually with a patch of pure rose-red. Adult females and young males : 

 Above with more or less of tawny, the back and rump in some species mixed with 

 grayish; top of head varying from dull slate-gray to glossy black; lower parts 

 varying from dull ochraceous to buify white. 



a^ Adult males with rose-colored patch on chest (rarely replaced by patch of 

 whitish, faintly tinged with rosy) ; adult females and young males with back 

 and rump dark rusty, rusty grayish, or nearly pure gray. 

 b^. Adult males with breast, belly, flanks, etc., distinctly, or very decidedly, 

 ash-gray. 

 c\ Adult male : Top of head glossy blue-black, passing gradually into dull 

 sooty slate on forehead ; rest of upper parts uniform slate-gray, 

 sometimes decidedly darker on back. Adult female : Top of head 

 blackish slate, becoming paler and browner on forehead ; rest of 

 upper parts dark rusty, duller on back, where sometimes approach- 

 ing a deej) hazel or burnt-umber tint. Youiig male : Similar to adult 

 female, but top of head glossy black, as in adult male ; in older in- 

 dividuals, the black of adult plumage appearing on back, sides of 

 head, etc., and rose-color tinting the throat. Length about 6.50- 

 6.75, wing 3.30-3.75, tail 2.60-3.00, exposed culmen .60-.68. Ifab. 

 Eastern Mexico (north to Eio Grande Valley), south to Salvador. 



P. aglaiae (Lafr.). Rose-throated Becard.^ 

 c". Adult male: Top of head dull slate-black posteriorly, gradually be- 

 coming deep smoky gray on forehead ; rest of upper parts uni- 



1 Atfila LESf?ON, Traite Dm. 1831, .360. T3'pe, A. hrasiliensis Less. (Two, possibly three, species in 

 Mexico and Guatemala.) 



2 Platypmris ScL., P. Z. S. 1857, 72 (ex Bonap., 1854, nomen midum). Type, PacJiyrhamphua lati- 

 rostris Bp. 



3 Pachyrhynclius aglaim Lafr., Rev. Zool. 1839, 98. Platypaaria aglaise Sujiichr. Mem. Bost. Soc. i. 

 1869, 558. 



