• On the genus Icterus of M. Brisson. -187 



one of these departments the bill is somewhat arched ; in thte se- 

 cond it is perfectly straight. To the former M. Cuvier retains 

 the original name of Icterus ; while for the latter he has revived 

 the old title of Xanthornus. He has added however to his genus 

 Icterus some species of the l^innean Grucula^ which though 

 nearly allied to his Icteri by their general habits and charac- 

 ters, are yet distinguishable from them by the strength of their 

 bills and the boatlike structure of their tails. These birds 

 M. Vieillot had previously formed into a genus by the name of 

 Quiscalus. They seem to be intermediate between Cassicus and 

 M. Cuvier's Icterus ; being allied to the former by the strength of 

 their bills, and approaching the latter by the curvature of those 

 members and the angulated base of the upper mandible. They 

 differ from the whole subfamily by the singular form of their tail, 

 which has a square or rather angular apexj instead of an even 

 or rounded one, and which is capable of being laterally compres- 

 sed, so as to bear a keel-like appearance. They may be charac- 

 terized as follows. 



Quiscalus. Vieill. 



Rostrum forte, subcurvatum, culmine convex© : mandibul^ 

 superioris basi angusto, angulato ; naribus ovalibus partim mem. 

 brano tectis. 



Al(e subrotundatae ; Im^ et 5*^ remige aequalibus, 2<1^, 3ti^ et 

 4*^^ fere asqualibus longissimis. 



Cauda gradata, apice angulata, lateraliter complicabilis, cymbi- 

 formis. 



Pedes fortes. 



The following Linnean birds form the typical species of this 

 genus. 



Baltiinores, and Troupiales, to which he himself assigns the names respectively 

 of Pendulinus, Yphantes, and Agelaius, without any reference to the original 

 scientifick names which M. Brisson gave to the same groups, and which M. 

 Cuvier afterwards restored. It sometimes occurs that M. Vieillot exhibits too 

 much haste in giving names of his own to groups which have already been 

 distinguished by established and popular titles. But we owe too much to 

 that gentleman's labours in Ornithology, not to be willing to pass over a few 

 inaccuracies, and few they certainly are, of so minoui a nature. 



