MIMT'S. 371 



Family MIMID.E. 



This family is represented in South America hy three genera, 

 and at tlie time when Brahourne and Chubb pul/iished their 'List 

 of the Birds of Soiitli America,' eighteen species. One genus and 

 one species occur in British Guiana. 



Genus MIMUS Boie. 

 Jli/nus Boie, Isis, 1S2G, p. 972. Type M. polycjJottus (Linn.). 



Fig. 143. — To illustrate the shape of the hill. 



One oE the chief characters in this genus is that the tail is 

 usually longer than the wing. The bill is decurved at the tip and 

 slightly hooked. The wing is rounded, the" third, fourth, tifth, 

 and sixth primaries are longest and subequal, the second is shorter 

 than the seventh but longer than the eighth. The tail is rounded 

 at the tip and rather longer than the wing. The tarsus is about 

 twice the length of the exposed culmen, and the middle toe and 

 chiw five-sixths the length of the tarsus. Coloration: male and 

 female sijuilar. 



57G. Mimus gilvus. 



GraCEBUL MOCKING-BIUD. 



Tardus gilvus Vieill. Ois. Amer. Sei)t. ii. p. 15, pi. 68 his, 1807 



(Guiana). 

 Mimus f/ilvus Sliarpe, Cat. Ii. Brit. Mas. vi. p. yoO, 1881 (British 



Guiana); Salviii, Il)is, ISS.j, p. V.)\) (Koruima, 27UU-;37UU ft.;; 



Bmbourne & Chubb, B. S. Amer. i. p. 341, no. 3491, 1912. 



A dull female. Crown of head, back, .sca[)ulai-s, and upper tail- 

 coverts witii dark shaft-lines to the feathers on the head ; upper 

 wing-coverts simihir to tiio back but somewhat darker ; median and 

 greater series dark brown, with jiale edges to the featliers like 

 the innermost secondaries ; bustard-wing, prinuiry-coverts, and 



2m2 



