﻿36 
  Mimus 
  melanopterus. 
  

  

  greater 
  coverts, 
  the 
  secondaries 
  and 
  their 
  coverts, 
  brownish 
  ash, 
  

   tipped 
  and 
  bordered 
  with 
  white. 
  Tail 
  graduated, 
  with 
  the 
  

   two 
  central 
  feathers 
  black, 
  tipped 
  with 
  white 
  ; 
  the 
  others 
  black 
  

   at 
  the 
  base 
  for 
  about 
  half 
  their 
  length, 
  terminating 
  in 
  pure 
  

   white, 
  the 
  outer 
  feathers 
  being 
  the 
  most 
  largely 
  li.a; 
  ked 
  with 
  it. 
  

  

  Under 
  parts 
  white, 
  a 
  little 
  inclining 
  to 
  grey 
  on 
  the 
  breast 
  ; 
  

   a 
  few 
  long 
  dusky 
  spots 
  on 
  the 
  thighs 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  sides 
  under 
  

   the 
  wings. 
  The 
  male 
  and 
  female 
  differ 
  but 
  little 
  in 
  plumage. 
  

   Length 
  10 
  1-2 
  inches, 
  wing 
  from 
  flexure 
  5 
  inches, 
  bill 
  along 
  

   the 
  ridge 
  7-8 
  in., 
  from 
  gap 
  1 
  1-8 
  in., 
  tail 
  5 
  in., 
  tarsus 
  1 
  1-4 
  

   in., 
  middle 
  toe 
  and 
  nail 
  1 
  1-8 
  in. 
  

  

  I 
  have 
  examined 
  three 
  specimens, 
  all 
  of 
  which 
  agreed 
  in 
  

   plumage. 
  They 
  were 
  procured 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Wm. 
  Gralbraith 
  during 
  

   the 
  winter 
  of 
  1845, 
  in 
  Venezuela, 
  where 
  he 
  went 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  

   of 
  making 
  collections 
  in 
  Ornithology. 
  

  

  They 
  were 
  at 
  that 
  time 
  in 
  pairs 
  and 
  kept 
  mostly 
  in 
  low 
  

   bushes 
  : 
  their 
  song 
  consists 
  of 
  a 
  succession 
  of 
  rather 
  short 
  

   interrupted 
  notes. 
  He 
  supposed 
  them 
  to 
  be 
  our 
  common 
  

   mocking-bird 
  {M. 
  polyglottus) 
  which 
  they 
  somewhat 
  resemble, 
  

   and 
  of 
  which 
  he 
  brought 
  no 
  specimens. 
  

  

  I 
  feel 
  well 
  assured 
  that 
  the 
  two 
  species 
  have 
  been 
  hitherto 
  

   confounded, 
  as 
  different 
  writers 
  mention 
  M. 
  polyglottus 
  as 
  

   being 
  found 
  in 
  South 
  America, 
  Mr, 
  Nuttall 
  has 
  the 
  following 
  

   note 
  to 
  his 
  description 
  of 
  that 
  species. 
  

  

  " 
  Mr. 
  Litchfield 
  informs 
  me 
  that 
  the 
  song 
  of 
  the 
  mocking- 
  

   bird 
  is 
  commonly 
  heard 
  in 
  Venezuela, 
  where 
  of 
  course 
  it 
  breeds 
  

   and 
  permanently 
  resides," 
  

  

  The 
  one 
  now 
  described 
  is 
  probably 
  the 
  bird 
  alluded 
  to 
  in 
  

   the 
  above 
  note 
  ; 
  it 
  may 
  readily 
  be 
  distinguished 
  from 
  M. 
  

   polyglottus, 
  by 
  the 
  greater 
  prevalence 
  of 
  white 
  in 
  the 
  tail 
  and 
  

   the 
  absence 
  of 
  the 
  white 
  band 
  on 
  the 
  primaries 
  ; 
  also 
  by 
  its 
  

   stouter 
  pure 
  black 
  bill 
  and 
  more 
  rounded 
  tail 
  ; 
  it 
  is 
  likewise 
  

   a 
  larger 
  and 
  much 
  handsomer 
  bird, 
  the 
  colors 
  being 
  more 
  

   pure, 
  especially 
  the 
  white 
  of 
  the 
  lower 
  parts. 
  

  

  