68 



Dr. Cabanis has recognized three different genera in the present 

 group of birds. About the first of these — the true Tityree — there 

 can, I think, be no question. The strong somewhat compressed 

 beak, the want of bristles at the base of the bill, the peculiar scimitar- 

 like shape of the second abnormal primary in the adult male, and 

 the absence of any strong dissimilarity in the coloration of the two 

 sexes, render the six birds composing it readily distinguishable from 

 the rest of the group, and eminently entitle them to generic distinc- 

 tion. A group of rather less value appears to be that of the black- 

 plumaged species, which naturally follow next in order. Here the 

 rictal bristles are present, although not so well developed as farther 

 on in the subfamily ; the second abnormal quill of the males is broad 

 and acuminated as in the true Pachyrhamphi ; the females are 

 clothed in a nearly uniform brown. These birds form the com- 

 mencement of Dr. Cabanis' genus Pachyrhamphus. But I confess 

 I cannot agree with Dr. Cabanis in separating generically the type 

 of his genus Bathmidurus from Pachyrhamphus Cuvieri and atri- 

 capillus, and I therefore think it best for the present to employ one 

 term as a generic name for the whole of the residue of the species — 

 after removal of the true Tityree — leaving the name Bathmidurus 

 and other terms lately coined to mark out the divisions of subgeneric 

 value. 



Fam. Cotingid^e. 

 Subfam. Tityrin^e. 



Rostrum brevius quam caput, basi dilatata, lateribus ad apicem 

 plerumque compressis, culmine leniter incurvo, apice uncinata, 

 gonyde ascendente : nares rotundce, fere nudee, rictus nudus 

 aut setis paucis prceditus : alee elongatce e primariis decern, 

 secundariis novem ; remigibus tertia et quart a primam su- 

 perantibus et longissimis, remige secunda in maribus adidtis* 

 abnormaliter brevi, falciformi aut apice acuminata; cauda e 

 rectricibus duodecim, modica, lata : tarsi modici, acrotarsiis re- 

 gulariter scutatis ; paratarsiis squamulis numerosis obovatis 

 obtectis : digiti fortes, horum exteriore cum medio ad basin 

 conjuncto et interiorem longitudine paido excedente, posteriore 

 elongato, unguibus acutis. 



* Mr. G. R. Gray, in his ' Genera of Birds,' says that " the wings are sometimes 

 furnished with a spurious quill beneath the first quill." That this so-called spu- 

 rious quill is the true second primary abnormally shortened is easily demon- 

 strated by a comparison of the wings of the adult male and female ; by which it 

 will be seen that the second primary of the latter, which is of the usual length, 

 corresponds in position to the reduced feather in the male bird. And, unless 

 this reduced feather be taken into calculation, the males will be found only to 

 have nine primaries, whereas the females have ten. 



