480 ICTEEID^. 



1. Scolecophagus cyauocephalns. 



Psarocolivs cyanocephalus, Wagl. Isis, 1829, p. 758 ' ; 1831, p. 537 ^ 



Scolecophagus cyanocephalus, Baird, Mex. Bound. Surv. ii. Zool., Birds, p. 20'j Cass. Pr. Ac. Phil. 



1866, p. 413 *j Sumichrast, Mem. Bost. Soc. N. H. i. p. 553°; Baird, Brew., & Ridgw. N. 



Am. B. ii. p. 206°; Coues, B. N. W. p. 199"; Lawr. Mem. Bost. Soc. N. H. ii. p. 281'; 



Scl. Ibis, 1884, p. 151"; Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xi. p. 390"; Perez, Pr. U. S. Nat Mus. 1886, 



p. 152". 

 Scolecophagus mexicanus, Sw. An. in Menag. p. 302 ^^ ; Bp. Consp. Av. i. p. 423 ". 



Niger jeneo lavatus ; capita undique et collo purpureo niteiitibus ; rostro et pedibus nigris. Long, tota 9*0, alae 

 5-2, caudae 4*0, rostri a rictu 1*0, tarsi 1*5. (Deser. maris ex urbe Mexico. Mus. nostr.) 



5 obscure fusca, gula vis dilutiore ; dorso postico, alis extus et cauda aeneo lavatis ; rostro et pedibus nigris. 

 Long, tota 8-0, alee 4-8, caudae 3'7, rostri a rictu O-S, tarsi 1*2. (Descr. feminse ex Oaxaca, Mexico. Mus. 

 nostr.) 



Eab. NoETH America, from the plains to the Pacific and from the Saskatchewan E. 

 southwards. — Mexico i 2 4 12^ Santa Eosalia {Couch ^), Mazatlan {Grayson ^), Ciudad 

 in Durango {Forrer '^^), valley of Mexico ^^ {le Strange), plateau of Mexico {Sumi- 

 chrast ^), Oaxaca {Fenochio ^*'), San Baltazar, Nativitas {Perez ^^). 



Scolecophagus cyanocephalus was described from Mexican specimens now in the 

 Berlin Museum, and Sumichrast tells us that it is very abundant on the plateau of that 

 country, but that it rarely shows itself in the valley of Orizaba except in winter^. We have 

 an example from the State of Oaxaca, which is probably the southern limit of its range. 

 In the United States it is a common bird from the high central plains to the Pacific, 

 and, except perhaps in the more northern localities, it appears to be a resident, congre- 

 gating in flocks during the winter months, which again disperse during the summer 

 season. Dr. Coues has given a good account of its habits, as observed by himself 

 chiefly in Arizona^ ; he describes the nest as usually placed in the fork of a tree several 

 feet from the ground, and as of a bulky structure like a miniature crow's nest, but deeper 

 and more compact ; the basement and outer wall are composed of short crooked inter- 

 laced twigs matted with a variety of softer materials, and rarely plastered with mud, 

 which, however, is not used in great quantity, often apparently no more than sticks to 

 the roots, weeds, &c. The lining consists of a quantity of hair, rootlets, &c. The eggs 

 are dull olivaceous grey, pale bluish, or greenish grey, thickly scattered all over with 

 various shades of brown from dark chocolate to light umber. 



DIVES. 



Dives, Cassin, Pr. Ac. Phil. 1866, p. 413; Scl. Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xi. p. 391. 



Three species of Dives are now recognized, of which D. sumichrasti of Mexico and 

 Guatemala is the only one which here concerns us ; the other species are J), warszewiczi 

 of Western Ecuador and Peru, and D. atroviolaceus of Cuba. The sexes are alike in 

 JD. sumichrasti both in colour and size, which probably indicates difierent domestic 

 arrangements to those of Scolecophagus ; the bill is rather long and stout, the culmen 



