BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA 649 



penultimate articulation of middle toe and much beyond end of inner 

 toe, inner web of second primary (from outside) not emarginated, 

 longest primary exceeding distal secondary by decidedly more than 

 half the length of wing, tail decidedly less than half as long as wing, and 

 with young conspicuously different in coloration from adults. 



Bill moderately large, its depth at base of rhamphotheca about 

 equal to its width at same point and slightly less than distance from 

 cere (in front of nostril) to tip of maxilla; culmen (chord) about equal 

 to length of hallux (without claw) or basal phalanx of middle toe, 

 strongly decurved from base, distinctly but not sharply ridged; gonys 

 moderately convex, ascending terminally, rather prominent basally, 

 obviously but rather indistinctly ridged; maxillary tomium with 

 "tooth" and sinuosities moderately developed; sides of maxilla some- 

 what swollen subterminally, the tip (unguis) rather abruptly com- 

 pressed. Nostril relatively large, nearly circular. Wing long and 

 pointed, the longest primary exceeding distal secondaries by decidedly 

 more than half the length of wing; second or first and second primaries 

 (from outside) longest, only the first (outermost) with inner web 

 emarginated, the emargination a httle beyond tip of fifth primary; 

 only the second primary with outer web sinuated, the sinuation very 

 slight. Tail decidedly less than half as long as wing, slightly but 

 distinctly rounded, the rectrices (12) broad, and, especially the middle 

 pair, tapering terminally. Tarsus a little more than one-seventh as 

 long as wing, about as long as middle toe without claw or slightly 

 longer, the feathered upper portion occupying decidedly less than half 

 its length, elsewhere covered with smaU roundish scales, these smallest 

 on planta tarsi, much larger along inner side of acrotarsium, where 

 more transverse and disposed to form a more or less distinct longitudi- 

 nal series; outer toe (without claw) extending to decidedly beyond 

 penultimate articulation of middle toe and much beyond end of inner 

 toe; hallux much longer than basal phalanx of middle toe, its claw 

 slightly shorter than the digit. 



Plumage and coloration. — Plumage compact, the primaries and rec- 

 trices very fu-m or rigid; orbital region completely and rather exten- 

 sively bare. Adults (sexes essentially alike) with most of head, whole 

 hindneck, and upper back plain black or slate-black; rest of upperparts 

 barred with bluish gray and blackish; underparts buff to buft'y white, 

 the breast, sides, abdomen, etc., barred with dusky, the chin, throat, 

 and sides of neck immaculate, the chest sometimes with guttate 

 streaks or spots of dusky. Young dusky grayish brown above, the 

 feathers margined with rusty, bufty, or whitish, the imderparts 

 broadly striped with dusky. 



Range. — Nearly cosmopolitan. (Several species, but only one in 

 America.) 



