348 U. S, P. E. E. EXP. AND SUEVEYS ZOOLOGY — GENEEAL REPOET. 
HARPORHYNCHUS, Cab an is. 
Harpes, Gambel, Pr. A. N. Sc. II, 1845, 264. (Not of Goldfuss, 1839.) 
Harporhynchus, Cabanis, Wiegmann's, Archiv, 1848, I, 98. (Type Harpes redivivus.) 
Toxostoma, Wacler, Isis, 183) , 528. Type T. vitula. (Not Toxostoina, Raf. 1816.) 
Methriopterus, Reich. Avium Syst. Nat. 1850 ; pi. lv. (No type mentioned here. Turdus rvfus, according to 
Gray.) 
Bill from front as long or longer than the head ; nearly straight to near the tip, or bow shaped, without any notch. Tarsus 
as long or longer than the middle toe, conspicuously scutellate ; outer lateral toe a little the longer, not reaching the base of 
the middle claw. Hind toe longer than lateral ; its claw equal to its remaining portion. Wings short, rounded ; the fourth or 
fifth longest ; the exposed portion of the first about half that of longest. Tail longer than the wings, broad, more or less 
graduated. 
It is very difficult to establish any very precise characters for this genus, as species evidently 
very closely allied in some features differ considerably in others. Tbe transition from the one 
extreme of structure in H. redivivus to the otber in T. rufus is so gradual as to render it very 
difficult to separate them ; T. curvirostris has a shorter tarsus (about equal to the middle toe) 
than the others, and the graduation of tbe tail is less. It is very difficult to say whether it 
should more properly be assigned to the first section or the second. In the character of the 
bill there is the most gradual transition from its very long and greatly curved shape in H. 
redivivus to the straight and short one of H. rufus. 
Synopsis of the species. 
Harporhynchus, Cab. — Bill much longer than the head, with both mandibles greatly decurved, 
or bow shaped. Tail much longer than the wings, broad, much graduated. No spots on the 
breast, which is brownish. 
Above and on the jugulum olivaceous brown ; beneath pale cinnamon, but little darker 
to the crissum. Cheeks uniform dusky..... redivivus. 
Above very light ash gray ; beneath paler, unspotted ; sides of head plain. Crissum pale 
brownish yellow. Tips of tail feathers obsoletely lighter lecontii. 
Above and below olivaceous brown ; lighter on the belly and throat. Crissum abruptly 
orange brown. Cheeks with a light and a dark stripe crissalis. 
Methriopterus, Reich. — Bill about as long as the head, or but little longer ; moderately 
decurved, or nearly straight. Tail somewhat longer than the wings. Breast whitish, spotted. 
Above grayish ash ; the under parts with obsolete spots of the same. Tail and greater 
wing coverts tipped with white. Bend of wing white. Gonys much decurved, 
concave curvirostris. 
Above reddish brown ; beneath thickly streaked with black. Two white bands on the 
wings. Gonys moderately decurved, concave longirostris. 
Above brownish red ; beneath thickly streaked with dark brown tinged anteriorly with 
reddish. Two white bands on the wings. Gonys quite straight rufus. 
