602 BIRDS OF THE REPUBLIC OF PANAMA PART 3 



Hubert Lyman Clark (Auk, 1913, pp. 404-405), with only the 

 partial body of one that had been prepared for a study skin available, 

 compared it with species of Tyrannidae and found no differences in 

 the few characters that he could see. Ridgway (U.S. Nat. Mus. 

 Bull. 50, pt. 4, 1907, pp. 332-333) had available only three study 

 skins, with uncertain data in part in which he was not able to verify 

 the serration of the outer primary in the male. 



Ames (Peabody Mus. Nat. Hist., Bull. 37, 1971, p. 163) remarks 

 that while Oxyruncus cristatus "has a basically tyrannid syrinx" he 

 found no special resemblance to any particular genus in that family. 

 He noted a similarity in the syringeal musculature to that of the 

 "becards (Pachyramphus) but . . . substantial differences in the sup- 

 porting cartilages." In his final summary where he grouped the 

 Passeri formes in five suborders he placed the Oxyruncidae at the 

 end of the Tyranni, following the family Tyrannidae. 



Those who have seen the bird in life have remarked on its super- 

 ficial resemblance in rather heavy form of body and short legs to 

 some of the medium-sized species of Cotingidae, which was my own 

 impression from my only observation. Its major external difference 

 is in the form of the bill, which tapers rather evenly from the 

 heavy base to the narrow, sharply pointed tip. 



The nest and eggs as yet are unknown. 



OXYRUNCUS CRISTATUS (Swainson) : Sharpbill, Pico Agudo 



Figure 48 



Oxyrhyncus cristatus Swainson, Zool. Illustr., ser. 1, vol. 1, no. 9, June 1821, 

 pi. 49 and text. (Brazil.) 



Size medium ; body heavy, head small, bill tapering from rather 

 broad base to slender, sharply pointed tip ; back greenish ; breast 

 heavily spotted with black. 



Description. — Length 150-170 mm. Adult male, outer margin of 

 proximal half of tenth (outermost) primary with tips of barbs 

 narrowed, acuminate, and bent, directed at an angle downward ; head 

 with a flattened central crest of narrow, elongate scarlet feathers ; 

 forehead, sides, and back of crown, hindneck, and auricular region 

 dull white, banded narrowly with black ; back, scapulars, and rump 

 olive-green ; upper tail coverts somewhat duller ; wings black, wing 

 coverts dull black tipped with dull olive-green, shading at the tips to 

 yellowish white, the lesser series duller than the others ; secondaries 

 edged extensively with pale yellowish white ; inner primaries bordered 

 narrowly with olive-green ; tail dull black, the feathers bordered 



