FAM. CHAMEIDA 
BY C. E. HELLMAYR 
Chamezidz Ridgway, Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus. no. 50, Vol. 3, 1904, p. 683-691. 
Characters 1). Bill much shorter than head, about equal to middle toe without claw, at 
base decidedly wider than deep; culmen strongly curved; maxillary tomium slightly concave 
for terminal half, without subterminal notch; gonys slightly convex, its basal angle directly 
beneath the anterior end of nasal fossae. In general form, the bill is not unlike that of the parine 
genus 4: githalos, being, however, relatively longer and stouter, more compressed towards tip 
and more acute. Nasal fossae very large, entirely unfeathered; nostrils large, overhung by a 
broad, somewhat elevated, operculum which, as in Certhiidac, does not reach to anterior end of 
nasal fossae, Rictal bristles well developed; feathers of chin and upper throat terminated by 
distinct, though rather fine bristles. Wing short and much rounded; sixth and seventh primaries 
longest, filth scarcely shorter; first primary about two-thirds of second; third equal in leneth to 
secondaries while the second primary is much shorter than the latter, Tail much longer than 
wing, much graduated; the two middle pairs about equal in length, the third but little shorter, 
the outermost somewhat more than half as lone as median rectrix; rectrices rather narrow, of 
nearly equal width, tips very much rounded, Tarsus very long (nearly half as long as wing); 
acrotarsium encroaching but little on outer side of tarsus, divided into eight scutes, of which the 
third, fourth and fifth, from above, are much the longest; middle toe without claw more than 
half as long as tarsus, its basal phalanx adherent for half its length to outer toe, less adherent to 
inner toe; outer toe slightly longer than inner one; hallux about equal in length to inner toe, but 
much stouter, its claw decidedly shorter than the digit. Wing 54-63; tail 73-90; bill about 
IO-I2 mm. 
1) The characters of this family have been taken from Ridgway’s great work. 
