Mr. Swainson's Sijnopsis of the Birds of Mexico. 437 



65. Scaplmhirus palustris. 



Glossy blue black ; thighs brown ; bill slender, commissure 

 straight; legs slender, claws long, slightly curved. 



Inhabits the marshes and borders of the lakes round Mexico, 

 in flocks. . 



Total length, 15 inches: bill, 1 A; wmgs, 6i ; tail,7^; tarsi,l|. 



M. Vieillofs name for this group, Qmscaliis, bemg already 

 used in botany, I propose to call it Hcaphidiiriis, as ex- 

 pressive of the singular boat-shaped tail common to most, 

 if not all, of the species. 



Fam. Corvid^. 



66. Garndus sordidtis. 



Blue, beneath grayish white ; tail rounded. 



Table land. Heal del Monte. 



Total length, 11 inches: bill, U; wings, 6i; tail,6|; tarsi, l^. 



67. Garrulus coronattis. 



Crested ; blue, sides of the head blackish ; chin, front, and 

 eye-brows whitish ; wing covers and tertials banded with 

 black lines ; tail rounded. 



This elegant bird, remarkable for its full and lengthened crest, 

 occurs in various parts of the Table land. 



Total length, 11 : bill, U; wings, 5\ ; tail, 5^ ; tarsi, li. 



68. Pica formnsa. 



Cinereous gray, beneath white; crown and pectoral band 

 black ; head with a long crest of black recurved feathers. 



Table land. Temiscaltipec. 



Total length, 19^: bill, }\; crest, 3; wings, 7; tad, 12; 

 shortest feather, 6 ; tarsi, f. 



Fam. LoxiADiE. 



G. Spermagra. Swains, in ZooL Journ. No. 10. 



69. Spe7ma^ra enjt/irocephala. 



Sub-crested • olive green, beneath yellow ; head, ears, and 



chin, red. , , i 



To this curious bird, Mr. William Bullock has attached the 

 following note. " Found round Temiscaltipec. Feeds on 

 insects, but is fond of beef, &c. Two were shot on the 

 meat at the back of my house." 

 The forms among the Tanagers are already so numerous, 

 that I am not willing to increase their definitions, or rather 

 add to the number of their genera, without due precaution. 

 But for this, tiie bird before me presents such a combina- 

 tion of characters, that it might fairly claim a distinct sta- 

 tion. The rounded form of the wings and tail, witii the 

 strength and thickness of the bill, associates it with Sperma- 

 gra ; but the peculiar form of the last organ brings it close 

 to the confines of Pipanga, notwithstanding that tl»e com- 

 missure. 



