LEIRTES. — STUIINELLA. 571 



Mr. J. J. Quelch (Timehi-i (2) v. p. 87), who observed this 

 species in Georgetown, remarks : — " Closely related to Xan- 

 thosomus icterocephalus are the so-called Robin Red-breasts 

 (Leistes guianensis), which are found about the outer parts o£ the 

 town, chiefly in grassy and bushy open places." 



The following note has been copied from Beebe (Our Search 

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

 beautiful sights can be imagined than a cloud of these birds rising 

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

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

 itself contrasts strongl}' with the green of the savanna. But when 

 we add to this the .... scarlet throats, brea'sls, and wing edges 

 .... the colour scheme is one which is never forgotten." 



Genus STUENELLA Vieill. 



Sturnella Vieillot, Analyse Nouv. Ornitli. p. 34, 1816. Type S. magna 

 (Linn.). 



Fig. 207. — Sturnella magna praticola. 



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 cuhnen, the ridge of which is flattened. 

 The wing is inclined to be emarginate, the inner secondaries 

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

 and fourth primaries are 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 abput one-fourth. Coloration: male and 

 female similar. 



