304 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



In the shape of the bill and the shortness of the primaries, compared 

 with the broad tertials and secondaries, there is much resemblance to 

 Xanthoura. The nostrils are, however, uncovered, the legs much stouter 

 and shorter, being shorter than the head instead of longer ; the tail-feathers 

 are broader, etc. 



Psilorhinus morio, Gkay. 



BROWN JAY. 



Pica morio, Wagler, Isis, 1829, vii, 751. — Ib. Isis, 1831, 527. — Voyage, de la Favorite, 

 V, 1839, 54 (said to have been killed at San Francisco, Cal., by Botta). Psilorhinus 

 morio, Gray, List, genera, 1841, 51. — Bonap. Consp. 1850, 381. —Cab. Mus. Hein. 

 1851, 226. — BaikD, Birds N. Am. 1858, 592, pi. Ixviii, f. 1, 2. " Pica fuliginosa, 

 Lesson, Traite d'Orn. 1831, 333." Psilorhinus mexicamis, Kuppell, Mus. Senck, 1837, 

 pi. xi, f. 2. 



Sp. Char. Tail much graduated ; the lateral feathers about two inches shortest. 



Second quill equal to the secondaries ; third 

 and fourth longest. General color dark 

 smoky-brov^^n, becoming almost black on 

 the head ; the breast brow^nish-gray ; nearly 

 white about the anus ; under tail-coverts 

 tinged with brown ; the exposed portion of 

 the tail with a decided gloss of blue ; bill 

 and feet, in some specimens yelloAv, in 

 others black. Length, 16.00; wing, 8.00; 

 tail, 8.25; tarsus, 1.80. 



Hab. Rio Grande Valley, north-eastern 

 Mexico, southward. Cordova (Scl. 1856, 

 300) ; ? Guatemala (Scl. Ibis, I, 22) ; Hon- 

 duras (ScL. II, 113) ; Costa Rica (Caban. 

 J. 1861, 83) ; Vera Cruz, hot and temperate 

 regions (Sumicii. Mem. Bost. Soc. I, 554). 



The difference in the color of the 

 bill appears to be independent of sex. 

 The feet of the yellow -lulled birds 

 are not of the same pure yellow. 

 The Psilorhinus mexicanus of Riippell is described as having white tips to 

 the tail-feathers ; of these there is no trace in the adult specimens, male and 

 female, from the Eio Grande, before us. He speaks of a suj)posed young 

 bird sent from Tamaulipas, by Lindheimer, as being without these white 

 tips. 



A series of specimens of this species exhibits considerable diversities. 

 Some skins from Mirador, Mex., not far from Vera Cruz, perhaps best rep- 

 resent the species as first described by Wagler. In these the head and neck 

 are sooty-brown, becoming ligliter on the jugulum and on the back. The 

 wings and tail show a trace of dull bluish. In jSTo. 23,915 the under parts 

 are sooty-gray, the bill and legs black ; in 23,916 the colors are similar. 



Psilorhinus morio. 



