86 TANAGEID^, 



Subfamily III. TANAGRIN^.' 



The typical Tanagers (Tanar/rina') consist of over 200 species, of 

 moderate size and generally of the most brilliant colours. The blue 

 and yellow Tanagrcv, the scarlet Pyrcmgce and Rlmmjilwco'li, and 

 the varied coloured CaUistce are ^ome of the most splendidly clothed 

 groups of the Neotropical Ornis. The structure of the Tanagrinaj, 

 so far as we can tell it from their dried skins, is very uniform. 

 Except in the bill it is very difficult to find definite structural cha- 

 racters of any kind, and the numerous genera (36) into which they 

 have been divided have been based more on colour than on struc- 

 ture. I do not propose to revolutionize this arrangement, but I con- 

 fess that I am not able to assign proper characters to these thirty-six 

 (so-called) genera, which, however, I do not doubt are fairly natural. 



The Tanar/rina' may be divided conveniently into five categories, 

 distinguished by the structure of their bills, as follows : — 



a. BUI slender ; no median tooth ; ter- 

 minal notch slight, sometimes almost 



obsolete ; no rictal bristles TanayrincB tenuirostves, p. 86. 



^. BiU thicker, rather strong ; terminal 



notch well defined ; no median 



tooth ; rictal bristles slight if any. . Tanagrince fortirostres, p. 139. 

 y. Bill thick, rather strong; terminal 



notch well defined; median tooth 



more or less well marked ; rictal 



bristles well developed Tcmagrina setirostres, p. 180. 



8. Bill slender, weak ; terminal hook 



almost obsolete ; no median tooth ; 



rictal bristles slight TanagrincB dehilirostres, p. 221. 



a. TANAGRIN^ TENUIROSTRES. 



The slender-billed Tanagers consist of the genus CctUiste and the 

 allied forms, in which the bill is smaller and less Fringilline than in 

 any other part of the group. They form altogether 73 species, 

 divided into sis genera, of which Calliste is by far the most nume- 

 rous, embracing no less than 61 species, as here recognized. Nearly 

 all of these are of brilliant and varied colours. They are diffused 

 over the whole of the Tanagrino area in the Neotropical liegion, but 

 are especially prevalent in the higher vaUeys of the Andes of Colombia, 

 Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. 



Key to the Genera, 



Bill thin, elongated ; tei-minal notch obsolete. [p. 87. 



BUI more compressed ; plumage black and blue 6. Tanagbella, 

 Bill more conical ; plumage bright grass-green 7. Chloeochkysa, 

 Bill shorter and thicker ; terminal notch apparent. [p. 89. 



Bill rather widened at the base. 



Tail longer 8. Pipbidea, p. 91. 



Tail shorter 9. Procnopis, p. 93. 



Bill rather compressed. 



Bill larger ; tail longer 10. Calliste, p. 95. 



Bill smaller: tail shorter 11. Pseudodacnis, 



[p. 138. 



