68 



Dr. Cabanis has recognized three different genera in the present 

 group of birds. About the first of these — the true Tityree — there 

 can, I think, be no ąuestion. The strong somewhat compressed 

 beak, the w'ant of bristles at the base of the bill, the peculiar scimitar- 

 hke shape of the second abnormal primary in the adult malė, and 

 the absence of any strong dissimilarity in the coloration of the two 

 sexes, render the si"x birds composing it readily distinguishable from 

 the ręst of the group, and eminently eutitle them to generic distinc- 

 tion. A group of rather less value appears to be that of the black- 

 plumaged species, whieh naturally follow next m order. Here the 

 rictal bristles are present, although not so well developed as farther 

 on in the subfamily ; the second abnormal quill of the malęs is broad 

 and acuminated as in the true Pachyrhamphi ; the females are 

 clothed in a nearly uniform bro\Ma. These birds form the com- 

 mencement of Dr. Cabanis' genus Pachyrhamphus. But I confess 

 I cannot agree with Dr. Cabanis in separating generically the type 

 of his genus Bathtnidurus from Pachyrhamphus Cuvieri and atri- 

 capillvi, and I therefore think it best for the present to eraploy one 

 term as a generic name for the whole of the residue of the species — 

 after removal of the true Tityrce — leaving the name Bathmidurus 

 and other terms lately coined to mark out the divisions of subgeneric 

 value. 



Fara. CoTiNGiD^. 

 Subfam. Tityrin^. 



Rostrum brevius quam caput, basi dilatata, lateribua ad apicem 

 plenimque compressis, ctdmine leniter incurvo, apice uncinata, 

 gonyde ascendente : nares rotundce, f ere nudce, rietus 7iudus 

 aut setis j)aucis prceditus : alce elonyatce e primariis decem, 

 secundariis norem ; remigibus tertia et (piarta primam su- 

 perantibus et longissimis, remige secniida in maribus adultis* 

 abnormaliter brevi, falciformi aut apice acuminata : cauda e 

 rectricibus duodecim, modica, lata : tarsi modici, acrotarsiis re- 

 gidariter scutatisj paratarsiis sguanndis numerosis obovatis 

 obtectis : digiti fortes, horum exteriore cum niedio ad basin 

 conjuncto et interiorem longitudine paulo excedente, posteriore 

 elongato, unguibus acutis. 



* Mr. G. R. Gray, in his ' Genera of Birds,' says that " the vrings are sometimes 

 fumished with a spurious guill beneath the first gnill." That this so-called spu- 

 rious quill is the true second primary abnormally shortened is easily demon- 

 strated by a comparison of the wings of the adult malė and female ; by which it 

 •will be seen that the second primary of the latter, which is of the usual length, 

 corresponds in position to the reduced feather in the malė bird. And, unless 

 this reduced feather be taken into calculation, the malęs ■vvill be found only to 

 have nine primanęs, vrhereas the females have ten. 



