Vol "i9i9 XVI ] Penard, The Genus Buthraupis. 537 



Through the kindness of Mr. Outram Bangs, and at his sugges- 

 tion, I have examined the members of this group in the Museum 

 of Comparative Zoology, and Mr. W. deWitt Miller of the American 

 Museum of Natural History, acting in Dr. Chapman's absence, 

 has kindly lent me specimens of B. arcoei, B. melanochlamys, B. 

 rothschildi, B. edwardsi, and B. aureocincta, so that altogether I 

 have been able to see all the known forms usually included in the 

 genus Buthraupis, with the exception of B. cyanonota, which is 

 considered a subspecies of B. cucullata. 



The series shows much variation, but it is easy to distinguish 

 two sections, one containing the larger, long-tailed members, 

 represented by B. montana, B. cucullata, B. gigas, B. saturata, 

 B. cyanonota (?), B. eximia, and B. chloronota, and the other con- 

 taining the smaller, short-tailed members, represented by B. arcoei, 

 B. cceruleigvlaris, B. melanochlamys, B. rothschildi, B. edwardsi, 

 and B. aureocincta. The first section may be further subdivided 

 into two groups, on the basis of decided differences in shape of 

 bill and form of wing, the first group containing the longer-billed 

 members with more pointed wings, the second group containing 

 the shorter-billed members with less pointed wings. The second 

 section containing" the smaller forms, although fairly uniform in 

 structural proportions, shows some differences in details which 

 may eventually prove to be of more than specific importance. 



Below are given the generic characters of the three groups which 

 I think should be recognized: 



Buthraupis Cabanis. 



Type. — Tanagra montana d'Orbigny [ = Aglaia montana d'Orbigny and 

 Lafresnaye] by subsequent designation — G. R. Gray, 1855. 



Characters. — Bill short and heavy; length of maxilla from nostril less 

 than one half the length of the tarsus, and a little more than one half the 

 distance from angle of mouth to tip ; depth equal to width at base or slightly 

 greater, and equal to length of maxilla from nostril ; culmen convex, some- 

 times more strongly curved towards the tip, the terminal portion produced 

 into a distinctly uncinate point, behind which there is a distinct tomial 

 notch; gonys about equal to length of maxilla from nostril, not decidedly 

 shorter, gently convex, ascending, contracted and ridged terminally; com- 

 missure slightly sinuated; nostril exposed, nearly circular. Wing long, 



