309 



b. Culnien more or less incurved ; 

 mesorhinium rounded. 

 c'. Tarsi short ; feet insessorial ; 



tail rounded IV. ICTERIN^, p. 361. 



d'. Tarsi Ion": ; feet gressorial ; tail 



generally much graduated .. V. QULSCALIN^, -p. 38S. 



Subfamily I. CASSICIN^. 



The naked exposed nostrils and expansion of the mesorhiaium 

 into a frontal shield sufficiently characterize this suhfamily. 



The Cassicinc' are mostly of large size, the larger Cassiques being 

 among the most bulky of Passerine birds. They are, so far as we 

 know their habits, builders of elaborate purse-like nests, which are 

 suspended from the branches of lofty trees, and lay spotted eggs. 



The Cassicince are forest-loving birds, and inhabit the tree-clad 

 portions of the New World, from Southern Mexico to Paraguay and 

 Bolivia ; but do not extend into the Patagonian and Antillean Sub- 

 region. 



Key to the Genera. 



A. Frontal shield much expanded, and much 



elevated at the back. 



a. Bill short and broadened at base ; no 



occipital crest. 

 ( Wings shorter than tail ; bases of 



J lower mandible swollen, homy .. 1. Clypeictehtjs, p. 310. 

 ) Wings longer than tail ; lower 

 ( mandible normal 2. Ocyalus, p. 31 1 . 



b. BUi lengthened and compressed : a slight 



occipital crest. 

 a'. Frontal shield extending back behind 



the eye 3. Eucorystes, p. 311. 



b'. Frontal shield terminating in front of 

 the eye. 



\ Base of lower mandible naked. . 4. Gyjixostinops, p. 312. 

 I Baseof lowermandiblefeathered 5. Osxrxops, p. 31o. 



B. Frontal shield slightly expanded and but 



little elevated at the hack. 



c. Neck-feathers normal. 



c'. Posterior end of mesorhinium rounded ; 

 slight or no occipital crest. 



I Culmen slightly incurved .... 6. Cassicus, p. 320. 



( Culmen quite straight 7. Amblycercus, p. 326. 



d'. Posterior end of mesorhinium angular; 



a well-developed crest 8. Cassicultjs, p. 328. 



d. Neck-feathers developed into a frill. ... 9. Cassidix, p. 329. 



