APPENDIX. 5g9 



Genus MOLOTHRUS Swainson, page 367. 



Section a?, including M. ceneus (Wagl.), should constitute a distinct genus, 

 Callothrus Cassin (Pr. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phil. 1866, 18, type, Psarocolius ceneus Wagl.), 

 the characters of which are as follows : — Feathers of hind-part and sides of neck 

 much elongated, forming a very conspicuous, soft, and dense erectile ruff in the 

 adult male ; four outer primaries with inner webs curiously sinuated and emar- 

 ginated, the web being expanded just beyond the middle portion, the posterior 

 extremity of the widened part forming an acute point, projected longitudinally 

 (less marked on the first quill). Two apparently distinct species constitute the 

 genus, their distinctive characters being much more obvious in the females than in 

 the males. They may be thus characterized : — 



b 1 . Bill decidedly stouter ; adult female grayish brown (washed with plumbeous in 

 fresh plumage), lighter below, the feathers of back, etc., darker medially, 

 producing more or less conspicuous streaks ; adult male brighter colored, 

 with the bronze of head, neck, etc., more greenish (scarcely, if at all, duller 

 on top of head than on back), and rump distinctly purple or violet. Hab 

 "Western Mexico (Mazatlan, Manzanillo Bay, Colima, etc.). 



C. seneus (Wagl.). Bronzed Cowbird. 



V. Bill more slender ; adult female dull black, more or less glossed with bluish or 

 purple, especially on wings and tail ; adult male duller in color, with bronze 

 less greenish (decidedly duller on top of head than on back), and with rump 

 dull bronzy scarcely, if at all, mixed or tinged with purplish or violet. Hab. 

 Eastern and southern Mexico, Yucatan, and south to Panama; north to 

 lower Eio Grande Valley in Texas. 



496. C. robustus (Cab.). Bed-eyed Cowbird. 1 



Genus PIRANGA Yieillot, page 453. 



Add P. rubriceps Gray (Pyranga rubriceps Gray, Gen. B. ii. 364, pi. 89), which is 

 said to have been taken in California (Dos Pueblos, Santa Barbara County, cf. Walter 

 B. Bryant, Auk, Jan. 1887, p. 78). This species belongs in section a 1 , although the 

 wing is bicolored, the lesser and middle coverts being pure gamboge-yellow, while 

 the greater and primary coverts, alula, and remiges are dull black, edged, more or 

 less, with olive-green. The adult male has the entire head and upper part of neck 

 (sometimes whole neck and chest) bright red, the back and scapulars olive-green 

 changing to olive-yellow on rump and upper tail-coverts, the tail olive-dusky edged 

 with olive-green, and the lower parts rich yellow; wing 3.60-3.75, tail 3.40-3.50. 



i Molothrus robuetus Cab., Mm. Hein. i. Sept. 1851, 193, foot-note (Mexico). 



This is based on the adult female of the eastern bird. The description of Psarocolius uncus Wagl. agrees 

 minutely with the adult male of the western form; and therefore, while the locality given is simply " Mexico," 

 I have preferred to restrict the name as above, rather than give a new name to the western species, which 

 would be the necessary alternative. The two species are essentially identical in all measurements except of the 

 bill, which is considerably stouter in M. teneus. 



