BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 129 



Genus TACHYPHONUS Vieillot. 



Tachy phonus YiEiLiOT, Analyse, 1816, 33. (Type, Taiujani noir nmXe, Buffon,= 



Tanagra nifa Boddaert. ) 

 Pi/n-ota Vieillot, Analyse, 1816, 45. (Type, Tanytiroux 'B\xiion, = Tanagra rufa 



Boddaert. ) 

 Comarophagus Boie, Isia, 1826, 974. (Type, Or'wlus leacoplerus Gm(iUu, = Tana- 



gra rufa Boddaert. ) 



Medium sized or small Tanagfers with rather slender bill (but exposed 

 culinen at least two-thirds as long as tarsus), tail rounded and equal 

 to or longer than length of wing to tips of secondaries, and with the 

 outermost (ninth) primary longer than third; adult males mostly uni- 

 form black, usually relieved by white under wing-coverts, and some- 

 times by a yellow, tawny, or red crown-patch or crest; females plain 

 rufous, brown, or olive, paler (sometimes yellow) below. 



Bill subconical, compressed terminally, shorter than head; exposed 

 culmen not longer than middle toe with claw (usually shorter), straight 

 basally (sometimes for basal half or more), strongly convex terminally, 

 the tip slightly (sometimes distinctly) uncinate; gonys decidedly shorter 

 than length of maxilla from nostril, very slightly convex or nearly 

 straight; maxill9,ry tomium nearly straight, but middle portion appre- 

 ciably convex, distinctly, but not abruptly, deflected basally, and more 

 or less distinctly notched subterminally; mandibular tomium slightly 

 sinuate, or quite straight to the decidedl^r, sometimes abruptl}^ deflected 

 basal portion, the tip of the mandible acute; basal depth of bill equal 

 to or slightly exceeding the basal width, and equal to about two-thirds 

 or three-fourths the lateral length of the mandible. Nostril exposed, 

 roundish or horizontally oval, with moderately broad superior mem- 

 brane. Rictal bristles moderately long, but very slender and incon- 

 spicuous. Wing rather long (about three and one-fourth to three and 

 five-sixths times as long as tarsus), rounded (seventh to fifth primaries 

 longest, ninth shorter than fifth, sometimes shorter than third); pri- 

 maries exceeding secondaries usually by less than length of exposed 

 culmen (by more in T. surinamensU). Tail shorter than wing by 

 much less than length of tarsus, rounded or nearly even, the rectrices 

 moderately broad, with compact webs and rounded tips. Tarsus 

 decidedly longer than middle toe with claw; lateral claws reaching 

 about to base of middle claw; hind claw decidedly shorter than its 

 digit. 



Coloration.— A.Au\t males deep black, usually with white on lesser 

 wing-coverts or under wing-coverts, sometimes with a buff, tawny, 

 orange, or red crown-patch (occasionally developed into a crest), the 

 rump sometimes buffy; females and young very different— plain brown- 

 ish, olive, or rusty above, paler below. 



-fffflw^Td.— Southern Honduras to southeastern Brazil, Bolivia, and 

 Peru. 



3654— VOL 2—01 9 



