•.'10 



s Y N o 1' s I s o K I in; ii r m m i .n i; is i i; i» s. 



Two pt'iuTic tt-nns were orij^inally proposed for tlic foUowiiif^ birds, viz., Ki,> 

 tX)KmA, Uritli., and .Sl-oltAKiMS, liuii. Hit- lirsl has priority of date h\ almost u 

 yi-ur; bui llic luttrr Ims always hi-on i-niployt-d liy llic majority of writers. As 

 iifitliiT of these genera was ever defined, 1 sliould be aiilliorized, 1 supjx)sc, in 

 rrjecling both; Imt us my desire is to unravel the existing coiiliisioii in this Family 

 and not to in( rease it, 1 iuive retained Bonaparte's term as being most generally 

 familiar to Ornithologists. To create a new generic name for these birds woidd 

 only make matters woise. The three known species arc of moderate size, possess- 

 ing grueefid forms, and deeply forked tails, and while llu' males are clothed in a 

 highly metallic plumage, the females have in comparisou a very sombre appearance. 

 They lead us uaturall} to the genus C'hlorostilbou. 



Genus CXVIII.-SPOIIADINUS. 



Riccordia, Rkkii., Aufz. cl.r r..lil.. (1R.>3). p. 10. 

 SporadinuB. ItoN.. K<>v. ami Mnir. Z<)<il. (18ri4). p. 2.').5. 

 tfporailieu », Cab. niiil IIkin.. Miis. lli'iii. 'I'll., iii (IHCO), p. 2.5. 

 Eratmia, IIki.sk. .loiirii. fllr Oriiilli. (tsr>:i). p. 191. 



MarMya » , Mitjt. (nor Oi-K.v., Isl."). iicc I'lTZ., lK-t,S), Cot. Ois. Moucb., p. 13 

 (187.'>). and Hist. Nut. Uis. Muiicb., turn, ii, p. 77. 



r/i. Bill as long as tlie head, straight, nostrils 

 exposed; wings long, reaching two-thirds the length 

 of tlic tail. Tail long, deeply forked, feathers narrow. 

 Tarsi partly dotlied. Sexes unlike. 



Jiiiuijc. West India Islands. 



Three species are recognized.' 



TvrR. 

 0. riccordi. (Jcrv. 

 O. rtrcordi, Gcrv. 

 T. elegant, Aud. and VicilL 



T. nmuga-i, Vicill. 



Fig. 125. 



^oraJJau ilym tf . IH. 1M>I*(«. 



' *^!- iiAKiNCB BRArEi. Lowf.. N. Y. Acail. Scifii., vol. i (1*77), p. 50. 



Crown mill jrorRet of a pliiioriiifr pnle prien ; liiuk, iippiT tail coverts, the two ccnlril 

 and thf next puir of tail fciulicrH, bronzed giil(Jen-grc<>n; the otlu-r tail fenllicrs ore piirpli.«li-liUrk. 

 with their outer edfres l.ronzid prrcii; (|t]ili8 hlni'ki.Mh-piirpIc ; hrrnst niiil nl.(lc.mcii dull hronn -preen; 

 under tail covert* dark a.sh border.il with white; bill mid foot binik. Length, :'>i in. ; wing, I J in ; 

 Uil. IJI in ; bill. J in. Type in National Museum, Washinplon. 



Nab. Inland of New I'roriilence, Unhnmns."— (Linvr. lor. eit.). 



The nniqne type of this form was described by Mr. Ltiwniiee as above, k is a ninmniy, and the 

 feaihrri* of the bo<1r arc consequently much disarranged, and the tail fealhers are not fully developed. 

 It murh resembles the S. rircnrdi. and I eompiired the spicimen with the type of ihnt species in the 

 Paris Mnieum. but WBi« not able to satisfy mysilf that it was certainly di<tin<t. More specimens of 

 tbiit bird, mod perfect onc», ore ncccHsary before iu proper specific position can Im> fully delcmiiDeA 



