11. MYRMOTHEKULA. 229 



b'". Bill more compressed. 



I Eye-region feathered 24. Pithys, p. 294. 



j Eye-reg-iou naked 25. Gymnopithvs, p. l'9G. 



0. Of large size ; bill Thrush-like ; plumage 

 brown and rufous. 



e. Tarsi short, thicker 26. Rhopoterpk, p. 2U8. 



/. Tarsi long, thinner. 



i Eye-region naked all round ; tarsal 

 ^ scutes united 27. Phlogopsis, p. 293. 

 Eye-region in front feathered ; 

 tarsal scutes divided 28. Fobmicahius, p. 301. 



11. MYRMOTHERULA *. 



Type. 



Myrmotherula, Sclater, P. Z. S. 1858, p. 2-34 M. pygmtea. 



Myrmotherium, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Ilein. ii. p. 12 



(1859) 51. pygniEea. 



Myrmophila, Cab. et Hein. ibid 51. brevicauda. 



Rhopias, Cah. et Hein. turn. cit. ii. p. 13 (1859) M. gularis. 



Mijrmotlierula and the allied form Terenura contain the smallest 

 representatives of the Formicariine series. In most of the birds the 

 tail is very short, though the length of this organ varies in some 

 nearly allied species. The tarsi are rather short and weak, and 

 the whole structure is feeble. The sexes are always differently 

 coloured. 



Myrmotherula extends from Veragua over the wooded districts 

 of South America to Bolivia and S. Brazil. I can recognize 24 

 species, but others remain uncertain and still to be made out. 



I divide the genus into three sections as follows : — 



Key to the Species. 



A. Striated group, akin to M. pygiiKea. 



a. Under surface yellowish, not striated .... 1. pygmaa, p. 230. 



h. Under surface white, striated 2. surinamensis, p. 231, 



B. Brown-and-grey group, akhi to M. yuttata. 

 c. Back fulvous or cinereous. 



a'. Throat cinereous, unspotted 3. yuttata, p. 232. 



b'. Throat with white spots. 

 a". Breast cinereous. 



I Tail shorter 4. gularis, p. 233. 



] Tail longer 5. yufturalis, p. 233. 



b''. Breast fulvous. 



I Back brown 6. fulviventris, p. 234. 



I Back cinereous 7. spodionota, p. 234. 



c'. Throat black 8. atroyularis, p. 235. 



* Allied to Myrmotherula is Bichro^ona, Ridgw. Proc. U. S. N. Mus. x. 

 p. .524. Type D. zononofa, Ridgw, (Lower Amazons). 

 Eefer also to : — 

 Formiciiora lafrcsnayana, d'Orb. Voy.,Ois. p. 182, pi. yi. fig. 1 (Bolivia). 



