30 



BIRDS OF BRITISH GUIANA. 



Genus MYRMOPAGIS Ridgw. 



Myrmopagis Ridgway, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, xxii. April 17, 1909. 

 Type M. axillaris (Yieill.). 



Fig. 15. — Mynnopagis axillaris. 



This genus is easily distinguished by the long and, usuallj^ 

 white flank-plumes which form a conspicuous patch on tlie sides 

 of the body. The bill is slender. The wing is rounded, the 

 fourth and fifth primaries longest, the third about equal to the 

 sixth. The tail is comparatively long, being about three-fourths 

 the length of the wing, rounded, and much graduated, the outer 

 feather on each side being about two-thirds the length of the 

 middle ones. The male and female differ entirely in colour. 



367. Myrmopagis axillaris. 

 White-flanked Ant-bird. 



Myrmotliera axillaris Vieill. N. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. xii. p. 113, 1817 

 (Cayenne). 



Formicivora axillaris Cab. in Schomb. Reis. Guian. ill. p. 688, 184S. 



Myrmotherida axillaris Salvin, Ibis, 1885, p. 425 (Bartica Grove, 

 Camacusa, Merume Mts.) ; Sclater, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xv. p. 238, 

 1890 (Takutu River) ; Beebe, Our Search for a Wilderness, p. 194, 

 1910 (Hoorie) ; Brabourne & Chubb, B. S. Amer. i. p. 198, no. 1982, 

 1912. 



Adult male. General colour for the most part slate-grey, 

 including the head, back, upper tail-coverts, sides of face, and 

 sides of breast ; u[)per wing-coverts, bastard-wing, and primary- 

 coverts black tipped with white, more broadly on the greater 

 series ; primary and secondary quills dark brown, margined 

 with white on the inner webs; tail blackish, with narrow white 



