LEISTES. — STUPNELLA. 



571 



Mr. J. J. Quelcli (Tiiiiehri (2) v. p. 87), who observed tin's 

 species in Georgetownj remarks : — " Closely related to Xan- 

 thosomus icterocepJialiis are the so-called Robin Red-breasts 

 (Leistes f/uianensis), which are found about the outer parts o£ the 

 town, chiefly in grassy and bushy 0[)en places." 



The following note has been copied from Beebe (Our Search 

 for a A\ ilderness, p. 351j : — " Red-breasted Blackbirds. Few more 

 beautiiul sights can Ije imagined than a cloud of these birds rising 

 ahead of the train or launch, and scatteiing far and wide over and 

 through the reeds. The general colour is a rich black, wdiich 

 itself contrasts strongly with the green of the savanna. But when 

 we add to this the .... scarlet throats, breasls, and wing edges 

 .... the colour scheme is one which is never forootten.'" 



Genus STUENELLA Vieill. 



Sfurnella Yieillot, Analyse Noiiv. Ornith. p. 34, 181G. Type S. magna 

 (Linn.). 



Fig. 207. — Siurnt'Ua magna joraticola. 



This genus, like the previous one, is easily distinguished by its 

 coloration. The bill is long, slender, and the culmen flattened ; its 

 width and depth at the base are about equal, which is about one-third 

 the length of the exposed culmen, the ridge of wdiich is flattened. 

 Tiie wing is inclined to be emarginate, the inner secondaries 

 being almost equal in length to the primaries ; the second, third, 

 an<l fourth primaries arc longest and equal, and the first is about 

 equal to the fifth. The tail is rounded at the tip and the middle 

 feathers lanceolate at the apex. The tarsus is long, exceeding the 

 exposed culmen by al)out one-fourth. Coloraliun : male and 

 female similar. 



