86 



REVIEW OF AMERICAN BIRDS. 



[part I. 



!ri 





IN 



Bill yellow ; breast light cinereous, shading into a white ab- 

 domen and oricsum ; throat white, with narrow central 

 streaks of black (in all others uniform black) . . 



ardosiacea. 



This genus — a strongly marked one among the American Thrushes 

 — is confined to the West India Islands, and may possibly include 

 more species than those here enumerated. These have been in a 

 state of much confusion until disentangled by the discovery, on the 

 part of Dr. Bryant, of the true 2\ plumbeus, of Linnteus, as shown 

 by him in his paper presented to the Boston Society of Natural 

 History. 



Mimocichla plumbea. 



Tardus plumbeus, Linn. Syst. Nat. ed. X, 1758, 169, not of ed. XII, 1, 

 294 (except reference to Catesby), nor of Gmelin, 814, 12, which 

 does not belong to the series at all, being a mixture of different 

 forms. 



Mimus rubrtpes, Bryant, Pr. Bost. 8oc. VII, 1859, 114. (Blue Jay and 

 Blue Thrasher of inhabitants.) 



Mimokitta plumbea, Bkyant, Pr. Bodt. Soc. N. H. 1863. 



Tardus viscivorus pluvibeus, Catesby, Carol. I, tab. zxx. 

 Bab. Bahamas. 



Bill from base of skull about as long as the head. No indication of a ter- 

 minal notch, or at best a very faint one. Commissural edge of upper jaw 

 straight as far as the nostrils, then concave to the tip. Bristles about gape 

 very short and inconspicuous, those at the angle of the mouth extended for- 

 ward, reaching only half way to the nostrils. A narrow membranous ring 

 round the eye, with a small naked space behind. 



Tarsi lengthened, rather more than equal to one and a quarter times the 

 length of middle toe and claw. Scutellse indistinctly evident, almost oblite- 

 rated and fused together, most distinct on the external face, eight in number 

 to the base of middle toe. Outer lateral toe and claw the longer, reaching to 

 base of middle claw, about equal to the hind toe and claw. 



Tail graduated ; lateral feathers .60, shorter than the middle ones. Wings 

 a little shorter than the tail, moderately rounded ; 4th and 5th quills longest ; 

 3d and 6th little shorter; 2d intermediate between 7th and 8th, .45 shorter 

 than the longest; l&t quill with its exposed surface oi^e-third the length of 

 the 2d, slightly falcate, broadest in the middle, but with the sides about 

 parallel to the end, where it is obliquely truncate with the corners rounded. 



Oeneral color slaty gray (like that of Afimm caroliiiensis), including crissum, 

 tibiae, inner wing coverts, etc. ; rather lighter beneath. Feathers of crown 

 with concealed dark central streaks. Lores, space beneath the eye, fading 

 out behind and a broad square patch on the chin and throat widening 

 a little behind, black, without any edging of white. Space between the rami 

 of lower jaw, and a patch on its outer side white ; the latter duller in color 

 and continued beneath the eye, becoming more plumbeous, and forming an 

 Sudistinct line of separp.tion between the black of throat and that below the 



