140 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 



convexity of the unguis Tueiug uiulIi more than in its middle. The outline of 

 the inferior mandibular rami is about straight as far as the unguis ; the line 

 of the commissure is considerably curved. The nasal tubes are large and 

 prominent, and rather long for this group, being more than a forrrth of the 

 culmen ; and the nasal apertures are much elongated, being very elliptical 

 rather than circular. The frontal featheis extend forwards to a point on the 

 median line instead of being the segment of a perfect circle, as in anylorum 

 and obscurus. The folded wings reach beyond the tail. The tail is compara- 

 tively and absolutely much shorter than in obscurus and very decidedly less 

 rounded, tlie difference between the middle and exterior rectrices being only 

 about half an inch. The feet are as much longer than those of obscurus as 

 is proportional "to the greater size of the bird ; ihe tarsus is as long as the 

 middle toe and half its claw. The outer toe and claw equals the middle ; 

 the tip of the inner claw falls short of the base of the middle one. 



Color. — The nasal tirbes and culmen are blackish, the sides of the bill yel- 

 lowish or reddish brown, the unguis mostly light bluish white. " The iris is 

 dark brown," (collector's label.) The internal aspect, and part of the outer 

 side of the tarsus, the middle and inner toes and the webs aie light yellowish 

 flesh color. The rest of the tarsus, the outer toe and the very margins of the 

 webs are brownish black. The claws are brown. The entire upper parts, the 

 wings and tail are of exactly the same shade of sooty black as obtains in 06- 

 scurus, but wi'h the following notable difference in the line of demarcation of 

 the white on the sides of the head, neck and breast : the dark color is much 

 more extensive, reaching as far below the eyes as it does in aiujlorum, and 

 there is no definite union of the two colors ; but as the dark takes on more and 

 more of a lighter plumbeous hue, it insensibly becomes more and more uebu- 

 lated with white. There is no white on either eyelid, nor any indication of a 

 white superciliary line. The under wing coverts are white, as in obscurus : the 

 bend of the wing rather more decidedly mottled with the color of the back. The 

 axillary feathers are more or less blackish towards their ends instead of being 

 pure white. The flanks are more extensively and decidedly fuliginous black 

 than in obscurus. It is in the color of the under tail c fverts, however, that the 

 difference from obscurus is most apparent. These feathers are entirely of a 

 deep fuliginous black, except a few of the shortest ones just posterior to the 

 fundament, which are whitish. 



Dimrnsiofis. — Bill along culmen 1'40, along commissure 2'00, from end of 

 nasal tubes to tip 1 '05, from fi-athers on side of lower mandible to its tip 1*40 ; 

 height at base "42, width a little less ; height at convexity of unguis •32. 

 Wing from the carpus about 'J-00. Tarsus 1*S0 ; middle toe and claw 2-10. 

 Tail3'75; outer feathers -GO shorter ; {in obscurus tail 4-25; outer feathers 

 nearly 1*00 shorter.) 



Variations. — With but two specimens before me, I cannot speak so fully on 

 this point as 1 could wish ; but the variations are doubtless quite parallel in 

 all respects with those of anrjlvrum or obscurus. The above measurements in- 

 dicate the average of the two specimens. They are precisely similar in 

 colors. 



Comparison luith allied species. — This new species differs from obscurus as 

 follows, briefly: In its larger size, as will be palpable from the measurements 

 given of the bill, wings and feet.* In its both relatively and absolutely 

 shorter tail, which is also much less rounded. In the different outline of the 

 frontal feathers on the bill In the difl'erent coloration, insomuch that there 

 is no white about the eye ; that the dark color extends much further on the 

 sides of the head and neck ; and that the under tail coverts are almost en- 

 tirely fuliginous black, instead of being for the most part white. 



It is distinguishable at a glance from anylorum by its greatly inferior size, — 



* The collector's label gives, "Total length 15 inches; expaaso of wing 32;" but those cannot 

 be implicitly relied on. 



[April, 



