10 BULLOCK'S TROOPIAL. 



have not been able to find it. The female is rarely seen, and is parti- 

 cularly shy and noiseless." 



Xanthornus Bullockii, Swainson, Synopsis of Mexic. Birds, Phil. Mag. 1827, 

 p. 436. 



Adult Male. Plate CCCLXXXVIII. Fig. 5. 



Bill a little shorter than the head, conical, very slightly decurved, 

 compressed, tapering to a very attenuated point ; upper mandible with 

 the dorsal line almost straight, being very slightly convex, the ridge 

 narrow, its basal extremity tapering, the sides convex, the edges over- 

 lapping, the tip extremely sharp ; lower mandible with the angle long 

 and of moderate width, the dorsal line and that of the crura slightly 

 concave, the sides erect and nearly flat at the base, convex toward the 

 end, the edges slightly inflected, the tip extremely slender ; gape-line 

 straight, declinate at the base. Nostrils elliptical, with a small opercu- 

 lum above, in the fore part of the nasal membrane, half-way between 

 the ridge and the margin. 



Head ovate, of moderate size ; neck short ; body rather slender. 

 Feet of moderate length, rather stout ; tarsus much compressed, with 

 seven large anterior scutella, and two longitudinal plates behind form- 

 ing a very thin edge ; toes of moderate size, the hind toe much stronger, 

 the lateral about equal, the third and fourth united at the base. Claws 

 rather long, moderately arched, much compressed, laterally grooved, 

 very acute. 



Plumage soft and blended, the feathers ovate and rounded. Wings 

 of moderate length, the first four quills nearly of equal length, the first 

 being scarcely two-twelfths shorter than the second, which is the long- 

 est, but scarcely exceeds the third. Tail rather long, straight, rounded 

 and slightly emarginate, the middle feathers being one-twelfth, and the 

 lateral three-twelfths shorter than the longest. 



Bill greyish-blue, dusky along the ridge ; feet and claws light blue. 

 The upper part of the head, the hind neck, and the anterior portion 

 of the back, with the loral space, some feathers at the base of the 

 lower mandible, and a rather narrow longitudinal band on the fore neck, 

 deep black; the anterior part of the forehead, a band over the eye, 

 the cheeks, sides of the neck, and the breast rich orange-yellow ; the 

 rest of the lower parts paler ; the lower wing-coverts and the anterior 



