BIRDS — FKINGILLIDAE — COTUKNICULUS. 



449 



COTllRNIOULUS, B o n a ]. a r t e . 



Cotumicului, BoNAFARTC, Gcop. List, 1838. Type /V«ii|rt//a;iajseriiia, Wils. 



Bill very largo nnd atoul ; the under niaiidiblo broader, but lower timu the upper, wliicli ia considorubly convex at the ba.«al 

 portiiin of its upper outline. Leits inodfralc, apparently not reaching to tho end of the tail. Tlie tarsus appreciably longer 

 than the middle toe; the lateral toei equal, and with their claws falling decidedly short of the middle claw ; the hind too 

 inicrmcdiatc between the two. The wings are short and ruunded, reaching to the base of tiie tail ; llie tertiaries almost as long 

 ns the primaries ; not much ditVerence in the lengths of tho primaries, although the outer lliroe or four are slightly graduated. 

 Tho tail is short and narrow, decidedly shorter than tho wing, graduated laterally, but slightly emorginale ; tho feathers all 

 lanceolate and acute, but not stitVuned, as in ^Immodromus. 



The upper parts generally are slreakod ; the blotches on the interscapular region very wide. The breast and sides arc gen- 

 erally streaked more or less distinctly. Tho edge of tho wing is yellow. 



This genus agrees with Passerculus in the short and narrow tail. Tlic wings are much 

 shorter and more rounded ; the feet shorter, esijccially the middle toe, whicli is not as long as 

 the tarsus. The tail feathers are more lanceolate. The bill is much larger, and more swollen 

 at the base. 



The essential characters of this genus consist in the swollen convex bill ; the short toes com- 

 pared with the tarsus ; the short and rounded wings ; and the very small, narrow, slightly 

 graduated tail, with its lanceolate acute feathers. 



In some respects there is a resemblance to Ammodromus, in which, however, the bill is very 

 much more slender ; the wings still shorter, and more rounded ; the tail feathers much stiffer, 

 and even more lanceolate ; the toes extending beyond the tip of the tail ; the middle toe rather 

 longer than the tarsus, instead of considerably shorter. 



Synopsis of species. 



Head without a median stripe above ; body beneath whitish ; the sides and across the breast 

 light brownish, without any streaks. Sides of head ashy G. manimhe} 



Head with a median light stripe. Breast and sides of head and body yellowish brown, with 

 obsolete streaks of darker. Neck above streaked with rufous C. passerinus. 



Head with a median light stripe. Under parts reddish white, conspicuously streaked on tho 

 breast and sides with black. Head and neck above tinged with greenish yellow C. henslowi. 



Head with a median light stripe. Under parts fine buff, with a yellowish white median line. 

 Sides streaked, but not the breast. Above light yellowish red, streaked with brownish 

 black C. leconiii. 



' CoTDRNicuLus MAKiMBE, Cabanis. — South America, Brazil. 

 FringUla manimhe , LtCHT. Verz. 1823, 25. 

 Cotxxrnicvlvs manbnhe , Cabanis, Mus. Hein. 1851,133. 



57 b 



