40 TUEDID^. 



families of very artificial limits, no very trenchant characters being found to separate 

 them. To the Muscicapidse Myiadectes also has a certain resemblance, especially 

 when the form of the bill and the development of the rictal bristles are considered ; 

 of Muscicapidee, the West- African genus Cassinia is that which Myiadectes most calls 

 to mind. The characters Myiadectes has in common with the Turdidse are the spotted 

 first plumage of the young, the tarso-metatarsus covered with single plate in front, the 

 long pointed wings, and the great vocal powers of all members of the genus. 



About ten species are included in the genus, all of which are very uniform in their 

 general appearance, though differing considerably in colour. They are distributed from 

 the Eocky Mountains through Central America to Bolivia ; and several of the West- 

 Indian Islands possess species peculiar to them. In the north M. townsendi is found, 

 a species which may cross into Northern Mexico. Mexico and Guatemala have two 

 species in common ; and in Costa Eica another is found. A single species, if we except 

 the aberrant M. leucotis, ranges throughout the Andes from Venezuela to Bolivia. 

 Cuba and Jamaica have each a species peculiar to them ; and one is reported from San 

 Domingo, but has not yet been obtained. The Lesser Antilles have three other species, 

 all closely allied to the Jamaican bird. 



The peculiar songs of the various species of Myiadectes have always excited attention. 

 Those of M. ohscurus and M. unicolor, with which we are familiar, may be likened in 

 tone to pouring water into a tin vessel. The habit of the birds is to sit almost 

 motionless on a branch in thick underwood, the males uttering their song at intervals 

 chiefly in the morning and evening. M. townsendi is described as sometimes running 

 on the ground*, a habit never observed by us in the Guatemalan birds. The food of 

 Myiadectes seems to consist chiefly of fruit ; but M. townsendi devours insects also. 



1. Myiadectes obscurus. 



Myiadestes obscurus, Lafr. Rev. Zool. 1839, p. 98 'j Scl. P. Z. S. 1857, p. 213 ', 1858, p. 302', 1859, 

 pp. 363", 376'; Scl. & Salv. Ibis, 1859, p. 14"; Ex. Orn. p. 49, t. 25"; Baird, Rev. Am. 

 B. p. 430'; Sumiehrast, Bost. Soc. N. H. i. p. 548'; Grayson, Pr. Bost. Sec. N. H. xiv. 

 p. 277"; Lawr. Mem. Bost. Soc. N. H. ii. p. 273". 



Hypothyrius ceesia, Mus. Berol.^'' 



SoMstaoeus ; ooulonim ambitu albo, loris et striga riotali nigris ; alls fusco-nigris, extus rufo limbatis ; inter- 

 scapulio pallidus rufo ; dorso imo oHvaceo perfuso ; subtus dilute scMstaoeus, gutture et ventre medio 

 cum crisBo albicantibus ; remigum macula magna interna ochraceo-alba ; cauda nigrioante, rectricibus 

 duabus mediis cum unius utrinque proximee pogonio externo griseis ; rectricibus lateralibus albo termina- 

 tis ; harum unius utrinque extimse dimidio apicali pallide griseo notato ; rostro nigro, pedibus fuscis. Long, 

 tota 7-5, alse 4-0, caudse 4-1, rostri a riotu -75, tarsi -9. (Descr. exempl. ex Jalapa, Mexico. Mus. nostr.) 



Bab. Mexico \ Tres Marias Is. ( Grayson lo "), Tonila and Jalisco {Xantm ii), Eeal Ariba 

 {Beppe), Orizaba (Botteri^, Sumiehrast^), Jalapa (de Oca% La Parada^, Yoletepec^ 



* Coues, B. CoU. Vail. i. p. 45. 



