THE QENTJS CHORDEILES SWAINSON — OBERHOLSEB. 6 



Genus CHORDEILES S'wainson. 



Choraeilea Swainson, Fauna Bor.-Amer., vol. 2, 1831 (1832), p. 496 (type, 

 by original designation and monotypy, " Chordeiles virginianus [Oa- 

 pritrmlgus amerieanus, Wils.]" qui Caprimulgus virginianus, Gmelln). 



CUordeilus " Swains." Gbat, List Genera Birds, 1840, p. 7 (type, by orig- 

 inal designation and monotypy, Oaprimulgus virginianus, Gmelln). 



Microrhynchus Lesson, L'Echo du monde Savant, July 16, 1843, col. 109 

 (type, by monotypy, Oaprimulgus exilis Lesson) (nee Microrhi/nchus 

 Dejean [Megerle MS.], 1821, Coleoptera; Bell, 1835, Crustacea). 



OhorMles " Swains. 1831 " Tsohudi, Untersuch. Fauna Peruana, Omith., 

 1846, p. 21 (type, by monotypy, " Ch. semitorquatus Cab. MSS. [=] 

 Cap. pruinosus Licit. Mus. Berol. vid. Tsch. Con^. av. Nro. 37," qui 

 Oaprvmulgus exilis Lesson). 



CJiordediles Oabanis [Wiegmann's] Archv fur Naturg., XIII, vol. 1, Novem- 

 ber, 1847, p. 346 (nom. emend, pro Chordeiles Swainson). 



RampUaoratus Bonapaete, Kivista Contemporanea, vol. 9, February, 1857, 

 p. 215 (p. 9 of reprint), (type, by virtual monotypy, Caprimulgus exilis 

 Lesson). 



" Chordedilus 1861 Cab." Gbat, Hand-list Gen. Spec. Birds, vol. 1, 1869, 

 p. 61 (in synonymy). 



Diagnosis, — Similar to Nyctiprogne Bonaparte, but bill stronger 

 and broader basally; nostrils more rounded, more exposed, more 

 tubular, and opening more obliquely, less laterally; tertials longer. 

 Similar to Nawno chordeiles Hartert,^ but wing more pointed (less 

 rounded), the third primary (counting from the outermost) much 

 shorter than the first and second, instead of about the same length ; 

 tail more deeply emarginate. 



Chars, gen. — ^Medium-sized, long- winged Chordeilidae ; bUl rather 

 small and weak, decidedly hooked; nostrils rather large, strongly 

 tubular, and opening obliquely; no long or conspicuous rictal bris- 

 tles; no occipital, frontal, or nuchal crest; tail rather long, more 

 than half (about 55-60 per cent) of wing, emarginate, the outer 

 rectrices longest, all of moderate width, rounded or squarish at tips; 

 wing long and pointed, the first or second primary (counting from 

 the outermost) longest, the third shorter than either ; tertials reaching 

 nearly to the tip of sixth primary, or beyond ; secondaries short, the 

 shortest one not reaching the tips of primary coverts or not extend- 

 ing far beyond ; feet rather weak ; tarsus feathered in front for about 

 the proximal third; tarsus usually shorter than middle toe without 

 claw ; outer toe slightly shorter than inner toe ; exposed culmen about 

 half the length of tarsus.^ 



Type. — Gaprirwulgus virginianus Gmelin (by original designation 

 and monotypy) . 



i Nannochordeiles Hartert, Ibig, July, 1896, p. 374 (type, Chordeiles puaillua Gould). 



"No osteologlcal characters appear in this diagnosis, because proper comparative ma- 

 terial of the most closely related genera Is not available. Consult, however, pp. 6-9 of 

 the present bulletin. 



