APPENDIX. 



489 



20. Genus, PHCENICURA. 



Rostmmobsoleteemarginatum,gracillimum, 

 rectum, lateribus compressis, mediis in naribus 

 abrupte gibbum. Rictus brevis. Alse medio- 

 cres, remex prima spuria, 3, 4, et 5 cequales 

 longissimceque. Pedes graciles. Tarsi cali- 

 gati ; digitus interims externo paulo brevior. 

 Cauda cequalis, rectricibus obtusis scepius 

 rufis. 



Bill obsoletely notched, very slender, 

 straight, the sides compressed ; culmen sud- 

 denly gibbous between the nostrils. Rictus 

 smooth. Wings moderate, the first quill spu- 

 rious, the 3d, 4th, and 5th equal and longest. 

 Legs slender. Tarsus with entire scales. 

 Inner toe rather shorter than the outer. Tail 

 even ; the feathers obtuse and generally rufous- 



Type. — P. muraria, Sw. (Motacilla phoenicura, Auct.) 



21. 



Rostrum integerrimum, lateribus compressis, 

 inflexis ; culmen e basi arcuatum, sed ad 

 nares non gibbum. Rictus angulatus. Alse 

 breves, rotundatce ; remiges primaries vix se- 

 cundarias superantes, remex quarta, quinta, et 

 sexta (Equates, longissimceque. Tarsi squamis 

 distinctis. Cauda rotundata, rectricibus ob- 

 tusissimis, scepiusque nigris. 



Type. — Th. rufiventer, Sw. [Le traquet a queue strike, Le Vaill., pi. 188). Six species, Africa and India. 



Obs. — I cannot state, from analysis, whether Le Vaillant is correct in placing this form with the Saxicolince, or 

 whether it is not a subgenus of Phoenicura. There are reasons, however, which lead me to adopt the latter sup- 

 position. The type clearly corresponds to Linaria, Brachypus, Parisoma, &c. &c. 



22. Sub-genus, DUMECOLA. (Generis Sylvicolae.) 



(Generis Phcenicurse ?) 



Bill entire, the sides compressed and in- 

 flexed, culmen curved from the base, but not 

 gibbous at the nostrils. Rictus angulated. 

 Wings short, much rounded, the greater 

 quills scarcely longer than the lesser ; the 4th, 

 5th, and 6th equal and longest. Tarsi with 

 divided scales. Tail rounded ; the feathers 

 very obtuse, and generally black. 



Rostrum basi latum, lateribus compressis, 

 apice aduncum et emarginatum, vibrissis di- 

 vergentibus basi cinctum. Alae mediocres ; 

 remex prima, secunda, et tertia levifer gra- 

 dates. Cauda divaricata, rectricibus acumine 

 tenui desinentibus. Ungues validi valde cur- 

 vati ; unguis posticus magnus medium longi- 

 tudine cequans. Digiti laterales inequales. 



Typus. — D. ruficauda, supra olivacea, sublns fulva ; 

 capite, cervice guloque in mare cinereis ; cauda et tegmi- 

 nibus ejus superioribus fulvo tinctis. 



Obs. — Having seen but one species of this form, I venture to characterize it with much doubt, since I suspect that the 

 true fissirostral type of Sylvicolais the Muscicapa Dyops of Temminck, PI. col. 144, f. 1. Dumecola ruficauda closely resem- 

 bles a very small Tyrannula, except in its feet, which agree with this genus in being long, — the tarsus measuring, from the 

 knee to the sole, nine-tenths of an inch. I have recently received from Mexico a bird, which seems more intermediate be- 

 tween Zosterops and Sylvicola, than either Dumecola or the Sylvia mitrata of Wilson. This latter, from its close resem- 

 blance, in a young state, to Mniotilta pinus, might lead us to suspect it entered in the same circle. When such minute 

 analysis is gone into, we feel it necessary to express all our doubts ; nor can these be dispelled until the genus Seto- 

 phaga ha3 been carefully studied, and its different forms denned. 



3 R 



Bill wide at the base, the sides compressed, 

 the tip abruptly hooked and notched, the 

 base surrounded with diverging bristles. 

 Wings moderate, the first, second, and third 

 quills slightly graduated. Tail divaricated, end- 

 ing in fine points. Hinder toe and claw large, 

 as long as the middle ; lateral toes unequal. 

 Claws strong, much hooked. 



Type. — D. ruficauda, above olive, beneath fulvous ; 

 head, neck, and throat, in the male, cinereous ; tail and 

 upper covers tinged with fulvous. 



