uTi:i;in.K-TTn: onroLES. 



lo:] 



Til some ('""s. esiwciiiUv tliont; round in ninii* nortln'ni Imalitirs, tlio 

 ^TnimdHnlor is di'iilt, with si strong iiw^e of |mr|»lt'. ()\«'r this is ditVused ii 

 .sfiifs of oljscuic liiVLMnU'r-color, and tlu'U overl) iiii; tln-sc an* lar^^'er and 

 Iwddcr liloicln's of w ini'-coloivd Ihdwu. In a few cj^'^^s lon;^ and inv^ular 

 lini's of dark purple, so deep as to l>e undistini^uisluible from black, are 

 added. These eggs are quite pointed at one end. 



(iKxis MOLOTHRUS, Swainson. 



Mutiithnis, SwAlSSON, F. Hor-Ain. II, 1831, 277; .^upiKiMd by Cuban is to be nuMiit for 

 Mofohnis. {TyiH', Frimji/iu jHcorui, G}i.) 



(Ikn. CiiAH. Hill -;hoit, stout, altoiit two tliiids the lfii<,'tli ol' head ; tlio coiiuuissure 

 str!U<rht. ciiliiuMi and poiiy.>< slightly 



c'urvtMl, convt'x, tlie toitncr l»r»)iul, «:$-r£::=^^^ ■ '^^--^ — ~~«v^ 



rtMHukMl. ('(uivcx, and riinnin'; hack on 

 the head in a p<»int. Lateral toes nearly 

 eipial, r*'a('liin<r the base of the middle 

 one, which is shorter than tarsus; claws 

 rather small. Tail nearly even; wings 

 lontr, pointed, the lirst (juill longest. As 

 far as known, the species make no nest, 

 but deposit the eggs in the nests of 

 other, usually smaller, birds. 



The genus i)/o/o^A/v/s has the bill >*„._*—* — ^ — ^^ Z2'tMi 



intermediate between JJolichon/jx Moiothru.. pecoris. 



and Afjeluius. It has the culnien unusually broad between the nostrils, and 

 it extends back some distance into the forehead. The dift'erence in the 

 structure of the feet from DoUchonyx is very great. 



Species of Molothrits resemble some of the FrinfjiUidcc more than any 



other of the Idcriche. The bill is, 

 however, more straight, the tip with- 

 out notch ; the culmen running back 

 farther on the forehead, the no.strils 

 being situated fully one third or more 

 of the total length from its posterior 

 extremity. This is seldom the case 

 in the American families. The en- 

 tire absence of notch in the bill and 

 of bristles along the rictus are strong 

 features. The nostrils are ])erfectly 

 free from any overhanging feathers or bristles. The |K)inted wings, with 

 the first quill longest, or nearly equal to second, and the tail with its broad 

 rounded feathers, shorter than the wings, are additional features to be 

 specially noted. 



Molothrus pecorix. 



VOL. II. 



20 



