CASSICTJS.—CASSICULUS. 443 



been found in the Chontales district of Nicaragua by the late Thomas Belt s, and also at 

 Greytown by Holland ^ ; and it occurs in all the intervening country as far as the 

 Truando ; but immediately to the southward its place is taken by the closely allied 

 C. uro;pygialis, from which it differs in having a much smaller and weaker bill ; hence 

 its name. 



Nothing has been written of its habits. 



CASSICULUS. 



Cassiculus, Swainson, Zool. Journ. iii. p. 352 (1837) ; Scl. Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xi. p. 328. 



Cassiculus, as now restricted, is a monotypic genus, its range being restricted to 

 Western Mexico. In the arrangement of the colours of the plumage it resembles Cas- 

 sicus flavicrissus and its allies, but its sharper, more cuneiform bill and much straighter 

 culmen, its occipital crest, and the normal structure of the feathers of the lower back 

 sufficiently distinguish it. On the other hand, the shape of the nostril, which is that of 

 typical Cassicinse, at once separates it from Amhlycercus, from which it is stiU further 

 removed by its long wings. The third quill is slightly the longest, the fourth and fifth 

 are next in length, then the second, the first and sixth being subequal ; the tail is rather 

 long and rounded, the feathers being somewhat pointed. 



1. Cassiculus melanicterus. 



Icterus melanicterus, Bp. Journ. Acad. Philad. iv. p. 389 ^. 



Cassicus melanicterus, Cass. Proc. Ac. Phil. 1867, p. 66 *, 



Cassiculus melanicterus, Scl. P. Z. S. 1859, p. 380"; Ibis, 1883, p. 156*; Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xi. 



p. 328 ' ; Duges, La Nat. i. p. 139 ' ; Lawr. Mem. Bost. Soc. N. H. ii. p. 278 ' ; Bull. U. S. 



Nat. Mus. no. 4>, p. 23 ^ Salv. P. Z. S. 1883, p. 422 ^ 

 Cassiculus coronatus, Sw. Phil. Mag. new ser. i. p. 436 ". 

 Icterus diadematus, Temid. PI. Col. 482". 



Niger, crista elongata, nigra ; dorso postico, alarum teotrioibus minoribus et crisso flavis ; cauda flava, rectricibus 

 duabus mediis omnino nigris, extima utrinque in pogonio extemo quoque nigra ; rostro viridi-eburneo, 

 pedibus nigris. Long, tota 11-0, alae 6-0, oaudae 5-3, rostri a rictu 1'6, tarsi 1-3. 



5 cineraseente-nigra, alitor mari similis, sed rectricibus omnibus in pogonio extemo fusco-nigricantibus. Long, 

 tota 10-5, alse 5-0, caud» 4-3, rostri a rictu 14, tarsi 1-1. (Descr. maris et feminse ex Mazatlan, Mexico. 

 Mus. nostr.) 



Hab. Mexico" {M'Clellan^), Mazatlan {Grayson ''^ Bishoff\ Forrer^), Presidio 

 {Forrer^), Tepic {Grayson'^), plains of Colima, Rio de Coahuana {Xantus''), Aca- 

 pulco2 {Marhham^), Guerrero {Duges ^), Temiscaltepec {Bullock ^% Oaxaca«, Eio 

 Grande ^ {Boucard % Morelia {le Strange), Barrio, Chihuitan, Tehuantepec city 

 {Sumichrast^), Tonala, Chiapas {Sumichrast). 



This is an abundant species in Western Mexico, from Mazatlan to Tehuantepec, but 



56* 



