BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA 



171 



wing; alula falling little short of longest primary coverts; bill small, 

 only about half as long as head, and with asillars and under wing 

 coverts immaculate white and middle secondaries mostly white. 



Bill relatively small, only about half as long as head (the culmen 

 very little if any more than half as long as tarsus), compressed, its 

 width at laterofrontal antia equal to about two-thirds to three-fourths 

 its depth at same point, the latter equal to a little more than two-fifths 

 {C. novehoracensis) to decidedly less than one-third {C. exquisita) the 

 length of culmen ; culmen elevated basally, more or less depressed above 

 nostril, thence more or less strongly decurved to tip ; gonys nearly as 

 long as mandibular rami, nearly straight, strongly ascending termi- 

 nally, its basal angle very distinct ; mandibular rami without a distinct 

 lateral groove ; nasal fossa extending about half way from edge of loral 

 feathering to tip of maxilla, or a little less, well defined ; nostril rela- 



FiGURE 11.- — Coturnicops novehoracensis. Natural size. 



tively large, narrowly elliptical, somewhat oblique (especially in G. 

 exquisita), though nearly if not quite parallel to maxillary tomium, 

 its anterior end nearer to laterofrontal antia than to tip of maxilla; 

 anterior edge of loral feathering forming a straight or faintly convex 

 oblique line, extending downward and backward from laterofrontal 

 antia to rictus, the anterior edge of frontal feathering notched to re- 

 ceive the angular base of culmen ; malar antia on line with laterofrontal 

 antia, or very slightly posterior to it, the mental antia on line with 

 posterior end {G. novehoracensis) or middle {G. exquisita) of nostril. 

 Wing relatively rather small, very concave beneath, much rounded, the 

 longest primaries exceeding distal secondaries by much less than one- 

 third the length of wing, but projecting considerably beyond tips of 

 elongated proximal secondaries ; second, or second and third, primaries 

 (from outside) longest, the first (outermost) about equal to fifth {G. 

 novehoracensis) or seventh {C. exuisita) ; alula falling decidedly short 



