50 TAKAGRID-E. 



D. Bill straight, stout; terminal hook 



strong, no median tooth ; gonys 

 straight; tail moderate ; feet large, 

 clawl strong and sharp IV. LAMPROTINM, p. 231 . 



E. Bill much lengthened and com- 



pressed, with a slight terminal 

 notch; tail moderate or long ; tarsus 

 rather short V. PHCENICOPHILIN.^, 



F. Bill short, stout, conical, Fringilline, [p. 233. 



terminal notch sometimes ohsolete ; 

 -wings rather shorter than in Tana- 

 (irince : tail usually moderate, some- 

 times elongated VI. riTYLIN.E, p. 236. 



Subfamily I. PROCNIATINtE. 



The peculiar form denominated " Procnias " by Illiger in 1816, 

 from its large Swallow-like gape and lengthened wings, was con- 

 sidered to be allied to the Cotingidce, until Dr. Cabanis, in 1845, 

 first pointed out the incontrovertible fact that, having only nine 

 primaries and caligated tar.si, it was an Oscinine form, and would be 

 better placed in the Tanagridae. I cannot, however, consider 

 Procnias so closely allied to the Euphonian Tanagers as to justify 

 us in putting Cidorophonia virkUs in the same genus, as Dr. Cabanis 

 formerly proposed to do. But having elevated Procnias to the rank 

 of a subfamily, I tliink it may be placed at one end of the Tanagridae, 

 although its nesting-habits rather point to an alliance with the 

 Eirundinidce, for Herr Carl Euler tells us (J. f. 0. 1867, p. 411) 

 that Procnias nests in holes in trees or in the ground, sometimes 

 using those made by Jacamars, and lays three or four pure white eggs. 



1. PROCNIAS. 



Type. 



Procnias, HI. Prodr. p. 228 (1811) P. tersa. 



Tersa, Vieill. A?iah/se, p. 38 (1816) P. tersa. 



Tersina, Vieill. Nouv. Diet, xxxiii. p. 400 (1819) P. tersa. 



Procnias is extensively distributed in the Neotropical Eegion, 

 from the Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta down to South Brazil. 

 Two local forms may be recognized, distinguishable only by size. 



1. Procnias tersa. 



Ampelis tersa, Linn. S. N. i. p. 298. 



Procnias ventralis, III. Prodr. p. 228 ; Te7mn. PI. Col. 5 ■ Max. 



Beitr. iii. p. 315 ; Tsch. F. P., Aves, pp. 29, 196. 

 Tersina ceerulea, Vieill. Nouv. Diet, xxxiii. p. 401 ; id. Gal. Ois. ii. 



pi. 119 ; d'Orb. et Lafr. Si/n. Av. i. p. 41 ; d'Orb. Voy., Ois. p. 298. 

 Procnias hirundinacea," -Sm'. Zool. III. ser. 1, pi. 21. 

 Procnias tersa, i>p. Conqh i. p. 232 ; Cab. Mvs. Hein. i. p. 329 ; P,urm. 



Si/st. Ueb. iii. p. 191 ; Scl. Cat. A. B. p. 55 ; Gray, Hand-l. ii. 



p. 77 ; Salv. ^ Godm. Ibis, 1879, p. 199 ; Scl. et Salv. P. Z. S. 



1879, p. 597 ; iid. Nomencl. p. 17 ; Pelz. Orn. Bras. p. 132 ; Salv. 



Cat. Stricld. Coll. p. 178 ; id. Ibis, 1885, p. 207 (Brit. Guiana ). 

 Procnias crerulea, Dm6o2s, Eev. Zool. 1861, p. 620 ; Berlepsch, Ibis, 



1881, p. 244. 

 Procnias occidentalis, Scl. P. Z. S. 1854, p. 240, 1855, p. 15-3, 1858, 



