BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 171 
tipped rectrices, and inner webs of remiges crossed by a broad oblique 
band of light tawny or ochraceous-buff. 
Bill decidedly shorter than head, stout, wedge-shaped, compressed, 
its width at loral antize much less than its depth at same point and 
equal to a little less than half to one-third the distance from 
nostril to tip of maxilla; culmen scarcely ridged, straight to extreme 
tip; maxillary tomium slightly convex, without trace of notch; 
mandibular tomium distinctly concave for terminal half, without 
trace of notch; gonys distinctly convex, strongly ascending ter- 
minally, the mandible strongly recurved terminally (falcate) with 
tip acute. Nostril exposed, posteriorly in contact with loral feath- 
ering, very small, longitudinally ovate or elliptical, slightly oper- 
culate. Rictal bristles absent. Wing moderate, rather pointed, the 
longest primaries exceeding secondaries by length of culmen, or more; 
seventh and eighth primaries longest, the tenth (outermost) about 
four-fifths as long as longest and decidedly longer than secondaries. 
Tail a little more than two-thirds to four-fifths as long as wing, 
strongly rounded or moderately graduated (graduation not greater 
than length of tarsus), the rectrices (12) soft and rounded terminally. 
Tarsus as long as or slightly longer than culmen, one-fourth as long 
as wing or slightly less, distinctly scutellate; middle toe, with claw, 
about as long as tarsus; outer toe, without claw, reaching to middle 
of subterminal phalanx of middle toe, the inner toe slightly but 
decidedly shorter; hallux as long as outer toe, decidedly stouter; 
middle toe united to outer toe by all of its first and half or more of 
its second phalanx, to inner toe by whole of its first phalanx; claws 
large, strongly curved, acute, that of the hallux much shorter than 
the digit. 
Coloration.—Plain brown or rufescent above, the head darker, 
sometimes streaked; tail cinnamon-rufous with much black on third 
and fourth, or second, third, and fourth rectrices; primaries blackish 
and dull cinnamon-rufous; inner webs of remiges crossed obliquely 
by a broad band of pale tawny or ochraceous; under parts light olive, 
whitish on throat, the chest, etc., sometimes streaked with whitish. 
Sexes alike. 
Range.—Southern Mexico to Cayenne, Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru. 
(About five species.) ¢ 
@ The following I have not seen: X. littoralis Sclater; X. tenuirostris Pelzeln. 
