40 



REVIEW OF AMERICAN BlUDS, 



[part r. 



1 • 



I 



very slight notoh. Briatlea at base of bill very inconspioaoua. Bat a slight 

 indictitiuu of the oonspiouous membranous riug rouud the eye of jilnmbea. 



Tarai long, about one and a third times the length of middle toe and claw. 

 Scutellae visible on the exterior side, but the edges there fused; seven observ- 

 able to the base of the toes (one less than in plumbea). Outer lateral toe the 

 longer. 



Tail graduated ; the feathera rather obtusely pointed ; the lateral about half 

 an inch shorter than the central. Wings a little shorter than the tail, moder- 

 ately rounded ; 6th quill longer than 4th, 6th, and 3d ; 2d between 7th and 

 8th ; 1st quill falcate, broadest in the middle, but pointed (not obtuse, na in 

 plumbea) ; exposed portion 1.14 in length, .21 iu breadth, contained three 

 times (or one-third) in the length of the 2d. 



General color rather dark plumbeous gray above and on the inside of wings 

 and axillars. Beneath with the jugulum, upper part of breast, and flanks light 

 ashy gray, passing insensibly into the almost pure white of the middle of the 

 belly, anal region, and crissum. Tibia plumbeous. Throat and chin white, 

 with narrow V-shaped streaks of black on the central third of the feathers, 

 which extend a little into the ashy of the lower throat. Loral region b>iu space 

 beneath the eye dusky. An indication of a white streak from the side of 

 lower jaw, margined below by a rather continuous line of black. Wings 

 black, with their upper exterior exposed surface abruptly like the back, but 

 lighter. Tail black, with a terminal patch of white on the outer feather 

 (about 1.20), becoming less on the others, the posterior edge nearly trans- 

 verse ; the upper surface on the outer webs dark plumbeous. Bill and feet 

 apparently bright yellow, perhaps faded from red. 



Bill from base of skull, 1.14; from nostril, .70; gape, 1.34; tarei, 1.55; 

 middle toe and claw, 1.15 ; claw aloue, .31 ; wings, 5.20; tail, 5.25. 



Tlie only specimen I have seen of this species is in the museum 

 of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, where it is 

 labelled " T. plumbeus, South America." 



In form this species exhibits a close resemblance to M. plumbea ; 

 but the colors are very different. The bill is yellow, not black, and in- 

 stead of a uniform slaty gray over the whole body above and below, 

 including the crissum, the middle of the belly, vent, and crissum are 

 white. Instead of a uniform square black patch on the throat, this 

 has white as its predominant color, with narrow central streaks of 

 black. 



Vieillot figures and describes this bird quite accurately and un- 

 mistakably, giving it as an inhabitant of the Antilles ; but his 

 accounts are evidently based on the species as observed in St. Do- 

 mingo, and to which it may possibly be confined. The specimen 

 belonging to the Academy has no indication of locality other than 

 " Amer.-Merid." 



Vieillot gives the bill and feet as red. 



Mm 



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