804 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRD'S. 



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

 with the hioad tertials and secondaries, there is mucli resemblance to 

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

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

 are broader, etc. 



Fsilorhinus morio, Gkay. 



BBOWH JAT. 



Pica morio, Waaler, Isis, 1S"21>, vii, 751. — Ib. Isis, 1S31, .'>27. — Voyage.de la Favorite, 

 V, 1839, 54 (.s;iid to havp l)een killod at San Francisco, Cal., by Botta). Psilorhinua 

 morio, GiiAY, List, genera, 1841, 51. — B<»nap. Con.sp. 1850, 381. — Cab. Mus. Hein. 

 1851, 226. — lUir.i), Birds N. Am. 1858, 592, pi. Ixviii, f. 1, 2. *' Pica fuliyinosa. 

 Lesson, Traito d'Orn. 1831, 333." Psilorhinus nuxicanus, Ruitell, Mus. Senck, 1S37, 

 pl. xi, f. 2. 



Sp. Char. Tail much graduated ; the lateral feathers a1>ont two inches shortest. 



Second (juill equid to the secondaries ; third 

 and fourth long«'st. General color dark 

 snioky-hrown, becoming almost hlack on 

 the head ; the breast brownish-gray ; nearly 

 white about the anus ; under tail-coverts 

 tinged with brown ; the exposed portion of 

 the tail with a decided ijloss of blue ; bill 

 and feet, in some specimens yellow, in 

 others black. Length, 16.00; wing, 8.00; 

 tail, 8.25; tarsus. 1.80. 



IIab. Rio Grande Valley, north-eastern 

 Mexico, southward. Cordova (Scl. 1856, 

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

 duras (ScL. II, 113); Costa Riea (Cabax. 

 J. 1801, 8.3) ; 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-billed birds 

 are not of the same pure yellow. 

 The PsilorhiiiNS mcxicanvs 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 IJio Grande, before us. He speak .s of a supjuised young 

 bird sent from Tamaulij)as, l»y Lindheimer, as being without these white 

 tips. 



A series of specimens of this species exhibits considerable diversities. 

 Some skins from Mimdor, Mex., not far from Vera Craz, perhaps best rep- 

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

 are sootv-brown, becoming lighter on the iuufulum and on the back. The 

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

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



I'silnrhinus morio. 



