BIBDS OF NOETH AND IH^DDLE AMERICA. 75 



Genus PIRANGA Vieillot. 



Piranga "Vieii-lot, Ois. Am. Sept., i, 1807, p. iv. (Type, Musdcapa rubra 



Linnseus. ) 

 Pyranga (emendation) Vieillot, Analyse, 1816, 32. 

 Phcenisoma Swainson, Classif. Birds, ii, 1837, 284. (Type, by elimination, 



Tanagra rubra Linn£eus,= Pyranga eyrthromelas Vieillot. ) 

 Phcenicosoma (emendation) Cabanis, Mus. Hein., i, 1850, 2-1. 



Medium sized or rather small Tanagers with expose'd culmen not 

 shorter than middle toe, without claw; bill rather stout to very stout, 

 more or less swollen, the maxillary tomiuni with more or less of a 

 median tooth or else the plumage unicolored (red in adult males, yel- 

 lowish in adult females and young); adult males with at least the 

 head red. 



Bill subconical, decidedly longer than broad or deep at base, the 

 culmen more or less strongly curved and uncinate at tip; exposed 

 culmen less than two-thirds to nearlj^ as long as tarsus, distinctly 

 ridged, gradually convex from base or nearly straight for basal half 

 or more; gonj^s nearly (sometimes quite) twice as long as mandibular 

 rami, nearly as long as maxilla from nostril, nearly or quite straight; 

 maxillary tomium distinctly notched subterminally, then gently con- 

 cave or nearly straight, usually with a more or less distinct tooth- 

 like projection in or near middle portion; mandibular tomium nearly 

 straight, or somewhat convex near tip, the basal portion rather 

 abruptly deflected, or sometimes even distinctly angulated. Nostril 

 exposed, rather large, oval or roundish, sometimes slightly pointed 

 anteriorly, in anterior end of nasal fossae. Rictal bristles obvious but 

 not conspicuous. Wing moderate or long (about three and two-thirds 

 to five and one-third times as long as tarsus), pointed (ninth to seventh 

 or sixth pi'imaries longest, the ninth longer than sixth) or rounded 

 (eighth to fifth primaries longest, ninth shorter than fourth); pri-' 

 maries exceeding secondaries by more than length of tarsus, except 

 in round-winged species. Tail 'shorter than wing by not less than 

 half length of tarsus, sometimes by much more than length of tarsus; 

 emarginate, even or slightly rounded, slightly divaricate terminally, 

 the rectrices of medium width, rounded at tips. Tarsus equal to or 

 longer than middle toe with claw; lateral claws reaching about to base 

 of middle claw, or falling slightly short; hind claw decidedly shorter 

 than its digit, strongly curved. 



Coloration. — Adult males with more or less of red (sometimes wholly 

 red) with or without black wings and tail, the wings sometimes with 

 white, yellow, or reddish bands. Adult females with red replaced by 

 olive-greenish above, yellowish beneath, the wing pattern as in the 

 male. Young streaked beneath (always ?) in first plumage. 



