EHAMPHOCOiLTJS. 281 



and most characteristic species of the genus, B. jacapa, is not a member of our bird- 

 fauna. 



All the species are inhabitants of the hottest forests, on the outskirts of which they 

 live. In Guatemala B. fasserinii occurs only in such places, and hardly extends its 

 range into the mountains above 1200 to 1500 feet. 



The bill of Bhamphocoelus is its chief peculiarity, the base of the mandible on either 

 side being swollen in a peculiar way so as to project conspicuously beyond the plumage ; 

 the nasal feathers project forwards so as almost to cover the nostrils ; these are open 

 and situated at the end of the fossa. The plumage generally is very soft, and scarlet 

 of various shades enters largely into its coloration. This, in the case of B. icteronotus, 

 is replaced by clear yellow. The wings are short and rounded, the fourth primary 

 being slightly the longest. The tail is rounded, and the tarsi and feet rather feeble. 



1. Ehamphocoelus passerinii. (Tab. XVIII. fig. l.) 



Ramphocelus passerinii, Bp. Antologia, 1831, no. 130, p. 3'; Scl. P. Z. S. 1856, pp. 130', 142'; 



Scl. &Salv. Ibis, 1859, p. 16*; 1860, p. 32'; P. Z. S. 1867, p. 278'; 1870, p. 836'; 



Moore, P. Z. S. 1859, p. 59'; Taylor, Ibis, 1860, p. Ill'; Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. viii. 



pp. 175", 179"; ix. p. 99^'; v. Frantz. J. f. Orn. 1869, p. 299"; Salv. P. Z. S. 1870, 



p. 187 "; Ibis, 1872, p. 316 '\ 

 Ramphopis fiammigerus , Baird, Stansbury's Exp. to Gt. Salt Lake, App. p. 36". 



Velutino-niger, dorso toto posfcico nibro-coccineo, plumis hujus partis ad basin albis ; rosfcro plumbeo ; pedibus 

 obscure fuscis. Long, tota 6-5, alse 3-1, caudse 2-9, rostri a rictu 0-7, tarsi 0-9. 



$ flavo-brunneo olivascens, dorso postico brunnescenti-flavo, capite undique et gula fuscis ; alls intus et Cauda 

 nigricantibus. (Descr. maris et femtaae ex Cboctum, Guatemala. Mus. nostr.) 



Hab. British Honduras, Belize river [0. S.), Belize (Blancaneaux) ; Guatemala, Choc- 

 turn, Yzabal ^^ {0. S.& F. 1). G.), Cahabon {Skinner % Tucuru {Sarg) ; Honduras, 

 Atlantic coast {Taylor % Omoa {Leyland% San Pedro {G. M. Whitely''); 

 Nicaragua, Mosquito coast ( TfJicMaw «), Chontales {Belt^% Greytown {Holland^-^); 

 Costa Eica, Angostura and San Carlos {v. Frantzius ^\ Carmiol i^), Navarro {v. 

 Frantzius i^. Cooper ^^), Orosi, Sarapiqui, Tucurriqui {v. Frantzius ^% Barranca 

 {Arcs); Panama, Chiriqui {Bridges % David {Hicks ^% Volcan de Chiriqui, 

 Bugaba i^ Vivala, Mina de Chorcha " {Arce). 



The original specimens of this BhampUcmlus described by Bonaparte were supposed 

 to have come either from Mexico or CubaS but it is now known that neither country 

 can claim it as an inhabitant. In the tropical forests of Eastern Guatemala it is 

 common, and we have traced it northwards to the Belize river in British Honduras, 

 which seems to be nearly its extreme northern limit. In the forest country north of 

 Coban in Vera Paz and thence to the shores of the lake of Yzabal B. passerirm. is 

 abundant, and no bird shows to such advantage as the male as he flies in the openings 

 of the forest, the briUiant scarlet of his back being a most conspicuous object. We 



BIOL, cbntb.-amek., Aves, Vol. I., December 1883. 36 



