1. GEDICNEMUS. 13 



CEdicnemus mexicanus, teste Schl. Mus. Pays-Bas, Cursores, p. 19 



(1665). 

 CEdicnemus ?, G. C. Taylor, Ibis, 1860, p. 314 (Honduras). 



Adult female. General colour above tawny rufous, mottled with 

 black centres to the feathers, narrower and more longitudinal on 

 the head and neck ; upper tail-coverts washed with grey and centred 

 and barred with dusky; wing-coverts like the back, with conspicuous 

 blackish shaft-stripes, the greater series ashy brown edged with 

 tawny buff and having a sub-terminal' line of dusky, following the 

 outline of the feather; bastard- wing, primary-coverts, and quills 

 dark brown, with a great deal of whito on the inner web, extending 

 over the outer web of the first primary ; the inner webs conspicu- 

 ously white at the base, forming a large speculum, the innermost 

 secondaries like the back ; centre tail-feathers brown, edged with 

 tawny and vermiculated with dusky, the remainder white, barred 

 across with dusky brown and tipped with a broad bar of black, 

 wider on the outer feather, which has a broad subterminal white 

 band ; lores and a broad eyebrow dull white, above which is a 

 broad black patch on the sides of the crown ; sides of face, cheeks, 

 and ear-coverts light tawny buff with narrow blackish shaft-lines ; 

 throat, breast, and abdomen pure white, the lower throat and upper 

 breast ashy brown tinged with tawny, with narrow blackish shaft- 

 lines ; sides of lower back tawny rufous with blackish centres ; 

 under tail-coverts pale cinnamon ; under wing-coverts and axillaries 

 pure white, the lesser coverts tawny rufous like the upper series ; 

 the lower primary-coverts ashy : " feet greenish yellow : iris yellow " 

 (T. C. Nutting). Total length 15 - 5 inches, culmen 1*7, wing 9 - 6, 

 tail 4-7, tarsus 3-8. 



The Mexican specimens appear to be rather larger than those 

 from more southern localities, and have a tarsus measuring 4*7 

 inches. Some birds are much more rufous than others, and these 

 are apparently younger birds. An immature bird collected by 

 Mr. Salvin at San Geronimo is much more mottled than the adults, 

 all the feathers having sandy-coloured edges. The grey shade which 

 is apparent in most individuals of this species is also present in the 

 young bird. 



Hab. From Mexico through Central America, in suitable locali- 

 ties, as far south as Venezuela, Colombia, Guiana, and the Rio 

 Branco. 



a. c? ad. sk. Mizantla, Vera Cruz, Nov. Salvin-Godman Coll. 



29 {Ferrari-Perez). 



b. $ ad. sk. Torula, Chiapas, June 20 Salvin-Godman Coll. 



( W. B. Richardson). 



c. d. $ 2 a d- s k- Huamuchal, Guatemala, Salvin-Godman Coll. 



Feb. (O.S.). 



e. Juv. sk. San Gerouimo, Guatemala, Salvin-Godman Coll. 



July (0. S.). 



f. Ad. sk. Bogota. Purchased. 



g. Juv. sk. Bogota. S Ivin-Godinan Coll. 

 h. Ad. sk. Merida, Venezuela. Old Coll. 



