348 IT. S. p. E. E. EXP. AND SUEVETS — ^ZOOLOGY — GENEEAL EEPOET. 



HARPORHTNCHUS, Cabanis. 



Harpes, Gambel, Pr. A. N. Sc. II, 1845, 264. (Not of Goldfuss, 1839.) 

 Harpmhynchxis, Cabanis, Wiegmann's, Archir, 1848, I, 98. (Type Harpes redivivus.) 

 Toxostoma, Wagler, Isis, 183] , 528. Type T. vetula. (Not Texostoma, Raf. 1816.) 



Meihriopterus, Reich. Avium Syst. Nat. 1850 ; pi. It. (No type mentioned here. Turdus rufus, according to 

 Gray.) 



Bill from front as long or longer than the head ; nearly straight to near the tip, or bow shaped, without any notch. Tarsus 

 as long or longer than the middle toe, conspicuously scutellate ; outer lateral toe a little the longer, not reaching the base of 

 the middle claw. Hind toe longer than lateral ; its claw equal to its remaining portion. Wings short, rounded ; the fourth or 

 fifth longest ; the exposed portion of the first about half that of longest. Tail longer than the wings, broad, more or less 

 graduated. 



It is very difficult to estaWisL. any very precise characters for this genus, as species evidently 

 very closely allied in some features differ considerably in others. The transition from the one 

 extreme of structure in S. redivivus to the other in T. rufus is so gradual as to render it very 

 difficult to separate them ; T. curvirostris has a shorter tarsus (about equal to the middle toe) 

 than the others, and the graduation of the tail is less. It is very difficult to say whether it 

 should more properly be assigned to the first section or the second. In the character of the 

 bill there is the most gradual transition froni its very long and greatly curved shape in S. 

 redivivus to the straight and short one of H, rufus. 



Synopsis of the species. 



Hakporhtnchxjs, Cab. — Bill much longer than the head, with both mandibles greatly decurved, 

 or bow shaped. Tail much longer than the wings, broad, much graduated. No spots on the 

 breast, which is brownish. 



Above and on the jugulum olivaceous brown ; beneath pale cinnamon, but little darker 



to the crissum. Cheeks uniform dusky redivivus. 



Above very light ash gray ; beneath paler, unspotted ; sides of head plain. Crissum pale 



brownish yellow. Tips of tail feathers obsoletely lighter lecontii. 



Above and below olivaceous brown ; lighter on the belly and throat. Crissum abruptly 



orange brown. Cheeks with a light and a dark stripe crisscdis. 



Methkioptbkus, Eeich. — Bill about as long as the head, or but little longer ; moderately 



decurved, or nearly straight. Tail somewhat long-er than the wings. Breast whitish, spotted. 



Above grayish ash ; the under parts with obsolete spots of the same. Tail and greater 



wing coverts tipped with white. Bend of wing white. Gonys much decurved, 



concave curvirostris. 



Above reddish brown ; beneath thickly streaked with black. Two white bands on the 



wings. Gonys moderately decurved, concave longirostria. 



Above brownish red ; beneath thickly streaked with dark brown tinged anteriorly with 

 reddish. Two white bands on the wings. Gonys quite straight rufua. 



