PHONIPARA. 359 



herbage in waste places. They were slightly constructed of dry grass-stems, lined with 

 hair, or sometimes with the stems of a small flowering plant. The eggs, two in number, 

 are white or bluish white, spotted with red or red-brown, chiefly in a zone roimd the 

 larger end. 



PHONIPARA. 



Phonipara, Bonaparte, Consp. At. 1. p. 494 (1850). 

 Euetheia, Reichenbach, Av. Syst. Nat. t. Ixxix. (1850) . 



This little genus is chiefly of Antillean habitat, four species being found in various 

 islands. A single species occurs in Mexico and Central America, a closely allied form 

 occurring in the island of Cozumel. 



The bill of P. pusilla is sharp, the culmen but slightly curved; the nostrils are 

 exposed at the distal end of the nasal fossa, and in front of this fossa is a slight depres- 

 sion, more deflnite in some specimens than others. The tomia of the maxilla is bent, 

 the outer portion slightly arched ; the tomia of the mandible is nearly straight from 

 the angle to the tip, the sides of the mandible being much curved inwards. 



The legs are rather stout, the tarsus being about equal to the middle toe and claw. 

 The wings are rounded, the second, third, fourth, and fifth primaries being nearly 

 ■equal and longest ; the tail is moderate and rounded. 



The generic name Phoni/para was proposed by Bonaparte in 1850 for P. canora 

 and several of its allies. Euetheia was proposed by Reichenbach, it is said, for the same 

 birds, and has been adopted by several later writers in place of Phonipara. We 

 think, however, that the latter name may be retained, seeing that Euethia was intro- 

 duced without a line of description, and the type species must always remain uncertain. 

 In point of date Euethia has a slight advantage, having been published, so Dr. Meyer 

 tells us, on 1st June, 1850, the sheet of the 'Conspectus Avium' containing Phonipara 

 bearing the signature 30th July, 1850. 



1. Phonipara pusilla. 



Tiaris pusilla, Sw. PMl. Mag. new ser. i. p.438'. 



Euethia pusilla, Cab. Mus. Hein. i. p. 146"; J. f. Orn. 1861, p. 1'. 



Phonipara pusilla, Scl. P. Z. S. 1856, p. 304^ 1859, pp. 365=, 379 " ; 1864, p. 174''; Lay r. Ann. 



Lye. N. Y. vii. p. 298^; ix. pp. 103^ 201"; Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. no. 4, p. 20^'; Sol. & 



Salv. P.Z.S. 1864, p. 352"; 1879, p. 507"; Cassin, Pr. Ac. PMl. 1865, p. 169"; Salv. 



Ibis, 1866, p. 193''; P.Z. S. 1867, p. 142"; 1870, p. 190"; Sumichrast, Mem. Bost. Soc. 



N. H. i. p. 552"; Frantz. J. f. Orn. 1869, p. 301"; Wyatt, Ibis, 1871, p. 328'°; Boucard, 



P. Z. S. 1883, p. 444". 

 Frinffilla lepida, Licht. Preis-Verz. Mex. Vog. p. 2, cf. J. f. Orn. 1863, p. 56'^ Wagl. Isis, 1831, 



p. 525 ''. 

 Tiaris olivacea, Cassin, Pr. Ac. Phil. 1848, p. 91 (nee Latham)'*. 



