vii OXYRHAMPHIDAE PIPRIDAE 477 



in bushes, forks, or outgrowths of trees. Copurus, Taenioptera, 

 Maclietornis, and Myiarclius commonly use old holes of Wood- 

 peckers ; Todirostrum and Fluvicola often make hanging purse-like 

 structures ; Cyanotis attaches its conical nest of papery reeds to 

 the stems of those plants ; SerpopJiaga frequently suspends its 

 domicile to twigs, roots, or grasses overhanging water ; Alectrurus, 

 Lichenops, Hapalocercus, and Centrites build in rush- or grass-tufts, 

 and Muscisaxicola under stones. Taenioptera and Machetornis, 

 moreover, will lay in the " ovens " of Furnarius, or in the nests of 

 Anuinbius acuticaudus (pp. 486, 487). Muscivora mexicana 

 makes a curious hanging spindle-shaped nest, surrounded by 

 loose materials. , The eggs are usually whitish, salmon- or cream- 

 coloured, and may be unspotted, or dotted and ringed with red, 

 purple, or brown ; those of Pyroceplialus rubineus have black 

 and grey markings, those of Machetornis dense brown stripes or 

 spots, those of Myiarchus tangled purple or red-brown lines and 

 marblings, while those of Gentrites niger are plain bluish-green. 



Fam. Y. Oxyrhamphidae. The members differ from the Tyran- 

 nidae in the straight bill, and the serrated outer web of the tenth 

 primary of the male. The sole genus Oxyrliamphus has three 

 greenish forms, with red crests, and black-spotted yellow or white 

 lower parts. 



Fam. VI. Pipridae. The Manakins, often considered a sub- 

 section of the Cotingidae, are for the most part small thick-set 

 birds, though Heteropelma and some other genera have greater 

 dimensions. The seventy or more species may be divided into the 

 Sub-families, Piprinae, with brilliant males, and Ptilochlorinae, 

 where the sexes are usually dull -coloured and similar; 1 the 

 former ranging from South Mexico to North Argentina, the 

 latter to South-East Brazil. The curved bill is generally short 

 and wide at the base in the Piprinae, with an indistinct terminal 

 notch ; but is somewhat elongated, much compressed, decidedly 

 notched, and usually provided with rictal bristles in the Ptilo- 

 chlorinae. The metatarsus is exaspidean (p. 473) though nearly 

 smooth in Metopotlirix and Masius and is comparatively slender 

 in most of the Piprinae, stronger in the Ptilochlorinae, Piprites, 

 and Ceratopipra ; the outer and mid-toes being partially united. 

 The exterior of the ten primaries is always short, while the wing 

 is much elongated in Chloropipo ; the secondaries are nine or ten. 

 1 Cf. Sclater, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xiv. 1888, p. 282. 



