BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 



483 



eighth about equal to fourth or sUghtly longer, the mnth intermediate 

 between first and second, the tenth (outermost) nearly two-tliirds 

 as long as ninth. Tail much less than one-third longer than wing, 

 excessively graduated, the outer pair of rectrices about three-fifths 

 as long as next and less than one-tliird as long as middle pair, the 

 latter exceeding next pair by length of exposed culmen, or more, 

 always with webs continuous, the tip subtruncate; rectrices ten. 

 Tarsus rather slender, slightly longer than middle toe with claw, 

 decidedly longer than distance from nostril to tip of maxiUa. 



Coloration. — General color plain green, the throat light blue, the 

 orbital and loral regions ochraceous; auricular tuft and tuft on lower 

 foreneck black; bill and feet light brown. 



Range. — Guatemala. (Monotypic.) 



ASPATHA GULARIS (Lafresnaye). 



BLUE-THROATED MOTMOT. 



Adults (sexes alike). — ^Above plain yello-wdsh green (between parrot 

 green and oil green), sometimes tinged more or less strongly with 

 verdigris green, the middle rectrices passing into greenish blue distaUy; 

 loral and orbital regions ochraceous-buff ; auricular region black, the 

 feathers somewhat elongated, producing a conspicuous narrow tuft; 

 chin and throat clear light greenish blue (turquoise or nile blue) ; rest 

 of under parts, superficially, fight oil green anteriorly, passing into 

 pale greenish blue or bluish green posteriorly (whole abdomen some- 

 times turquoise blue), the under tail-coverts and underlying portion of 

 other under parts (except throat and dim) yellowish buff; a small tuft 

 of sfightly elongated, rather narrow, mostly black feathers on center of 

 lower foreneck; under wing-coverts and broad edgings to inner 

 webs of remiges ochraceous-buff; im.der surface of tail j^eUowish gray; 

 maxiUa dark brown basally, pale brownish terminally, the mandible 

 similar but paler; legs and feet brownish (in dried skins). 



Adult male.— Length (skins), 270-280 (275); mng, 101.5-103 

 (102.2); tail, 140.5-146.5 (143.5); exposed culmen, 31.5-32 (31.7) 

 tarsus, 24.5; middle toe, 16.5-17.5 (17).« 



The specimen from Chiapas is not noticeably different in coloration from some Guate- 

 malan examples, among which the principal variation consists in the amount of blue 

 on the abdomen, some being -without more than a trace of this, while others have the 

 whole abdomen unbroken turquoise blue. 



