CA8SICU8. 441 



b. Clypeus frontalis ad basin vix incrassatus. 



CASSICUS. 



Cacicus, Cuvier, heq. d'Anat. Comp. i. t. 2 (1800) . 



Cassicus, lUiger, Prodr. p. 214 ; Scl. Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xi. p. 320. 



Mr. Sclater now includes nine species in Cassicus, having removed C. solitarius and 

 C. holosericeus into the genus Amblycercus since vpriting his synopsis of this family in 

 'The Ibis' for 1883. 



Cassicus, as thus restricted, is divisible into two groups — one having the rump red, 

 with the barbs of the feathers towards the end destitute of barbules, and the other yellow, 

 with the barbs of the feathers furnished with short barbules throughout. One of each 

 of these groups is found within our region, both in the State of Panama, and C. micro- 

 rhynchus as far north as Nicaragua. The southern species are spread over the whole of 

 Tropical America to South-eastern Brazil. 



The bill in C. microrhynchus has the culmen considerably arched, the proximal end 

 being rounded ; the nostrils are much as in Ostinops, quite open, and devoid of any 

 overhanging membrane ; the mandible is feathered up to the base of the sheath ; the 

 wings are moderate, the third quill being the longest, the second and fourth equal, and 

 the first shorter than the fifth ; the tail is moderately rounded. 



The difierent species of Cassicus live in colonies, and build hanging purse-like nests, 

 similar to those of the various species of Ostinqps and of Eucorystes. 



1. Cassicus flavicrissus. 



Cassiculus flavicrissus, Sclater, P. Z. S. 1860, p. 276'. 



Cassicus flavicrissus, Scl. & Salv. Ibis, 1871, p. 329'' ; P. Z. S. 1879, p. 509' ; Scl. Ibis, 1883, p. 158*i 



Scl. Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xi. p. 322' ; Tacz. Orn. Per. ii. p. 411°. 

 Cassicus icteronoius, Cass. Pr. Ac. Phil. 1860, p. 139^ (nee VieilL). 

 Cassiculus icteronoius, Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. vii. p. 297 . 

 Cassiculus chrysonotusl, Cass. Pr. Ac. Phil. 1860, p. 139' (nee d^Orb. & Lafr.). 

 Cassims vitellinus, Lawr. Pr. Ac. Phil. 1864, p. 107"; Cass. Pr. Ac. PhU. 1867, p. 66". 

 Cacicus persicus, Scl. & Salv. P. Z. S. 1864, p. 353^' (nee Linn.). 



Nitide niger, plaga teotricum alarium superiorum, dorso postico, cum tectrioibus supracaudalibus, crisso et vix 

 dimidio caud« basali aurantio-flavis ; rostro eburneo, pedibus nigris. Long, tota 11-0, alas 7-1, caudae 4-5, 



rostri a rictu 1-5, tarsi 1'2. •,■,<,. • -, ■, 



$ mari similis, sed minor et minus nitida. Long, tota 9-0, al* 5-4, caudffi 3-8, rostn a nctu 1-3, tarsi 1-1. 

 (Desor. maris et feminse ex Lion Hill, Panama. Mus. noatr.) 



Hah. Y^K^,lAonm\\{M^Leannan « 1012), Turbo ( ^oocZ 7 91i)._Colombia2 3 ; Ecuadoe^; 

 Peru ^. 



Though noticed on the isthmus of Darien in 1860, and that of Panama in 1861, it 

 was ten years before this bird was placed under its present name. During this time 



BIOL. CENTR.-AMEB., Aves, Vol. I., December 1886. 56 



