BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA 143 



three-fourths of length of culmen (subgenus Astur), and equal to or 

 much greater than its width at same point; culmen regularly to strongly 

 decurved from base, indistinctly or distinctly ridged, the tip of maxilla 

 produced into a moderate to strong and acute unguis; gonys about 

 half as long as culmen, convex, ascending terminally; maxillary tomi- 

 um strongly sinuated, concave immediately behind unguis; then 

 convex, the lobe thus produced sometimes angular; rictus nearly on 

 vertical line with anterior angle of eye or a little anterior thereto; 

 cere long (about two-thirds as long, on top, as culmen), broad across 

 top, strongly ascending proximally and arched basally, where extend- 

 ing a considerable distance between, though mostly covered by, feathers 

 of frontal antiae, its anterior outline variable, sometimes emarginate 

 at base of culmen, more or less convex in front of nostril, sometimes 

 straight across base of culmen and from thence extending downward 

 and backward in a nearly straight line; nostril horizontallj^ ovate, or 

 with upper edge nearly straight, the lower strongly convex, situated 

 above middle of cere. Wing relatively rather short, much rounded, 

 the longest primary exceeding distal secondary by about one-third to 

 nearly two-fifths the length of wing; fourth or fourth and fifth primary 

 longest, the first not longer than ninth, sometimes equal to tenth; 

 three to five outer primaries with inner webs abruptly sinuated. 

 Tail two-thirds to slightly less than thi'ee-fourths to four-fifths as 

 long as wing, its tip truncate to moderately rounded. Tarsus between 

 one-fourth and one-third as long as wing, more than one-fourth to 

 more than two-fifths as long as tail, relatively slender, the acrotarsium 

 and planta tarsi each with a single row of broad transverse scutella 

 (these sometimes fused into a continuous smooth plate in adult males 

 of the smaller species), the upper portion of the acrotarsium feathered 

 for from about one-third to one-half its length; middle toe three-fifths 

 to nearly two-thirds as long as tarsus; outer toe not extending beyond 

 distal end of second phalanx of middle toe, or to beyond the middle of 

 the third phalanx (subgenus Astur), the inner not extending beyond 

 middle of second phalanx, or, in subgenus Astur, reaching to a little 

 beyond base of third phalanx of middle toe (in the smaller species 

 not extending beyond distal end of first phalanx) ; hallux a little shorter 

 than inner toe, its claw about as long as or decidedly but slightly longer 

 than the digit and one-tliird or more longer than that of outer toe; 

 claws moderately large, rather slender, strongly curved and very acute, 

 compressed, flattened and grooved beneath; web between basal phal- 

 anges of outer and middle toes well developed. 



Plumage and coloration. — Plumage soft but rather firm, with feathers 

 distinctly outlined (blended in subgenus Hieraspiza); remiges and 

 rectrices firm, but not very rigid; loreal region rather densely covered 

 with bristlelike feathers, the antrorse anterior ones partly covering 



