Page:Birds of North and Middle America partV Ridgway.djvu/132

104 ridged, straight or nearly so for basal half or more, then gradually more and more decurved to the distinctly uncinate tip of maxilla; tomia nearly straight, minutely but distinctly notched subterminally (more slightly so on mandibular tomium); gonys distinctly convex and prominent basally, gently convex or nearly straight and ascending terminally, the tip of mandible forming a minute slightly recurved point. Nostril exposed, separated more or less widely from feathering of latero-frontal antiæ, longitudinally oval, with an internal tubercle showing distinctly within posterior portion, margined above by a more or less broad extension of the membraneous integument of the nasal fossa. Rictal bristles absent; feathers of chin, etc., without distinct terminal setæ, but their webs semidecomposed, bristle-like. Wing moderate, much rounded, the longest primaries projecting very little (sometimes not at all) beyond secondaries; fourth, fifth and sixth, fifth, sixth and seventh, or fifth and sixth, primaries longest, the tenth (outermost) a little more than half (M. plumbea) to two-thirds (M. boucardi) as long as the longest, the eighth slightly shorter to decidedly longer than secondaries. Tail two-thirds to slightly more than three-fourths as long as wing, strongly rounded (graduation equal to less than distance from nostril to tip of maxilla), the rectrices (12) rather narrow to rather broad (M. plumbea), rounded terminally. Tarsus much longer than whole culmen, two-fifths as long as wing or a little more, the acrotarsium distinctly scutellate, the planta fused (nonscutellate); middle toe, with claw, much shorter than tarsus; outer toe, without claw, not reaching to middle of subterminal phalanx of middle toe, the inner toe slightly shorter; hallux about as long as inner toe, but much stouter; basal phalanx of middle toe united to outer toe for much the greater part, to inner toe for not more than basal half (for less than basal half in M. boucardi); claws moderate in size and curvature, much compressed, that of the hallux decidedly shorter than its digit. Plumage full and blended, that of rump (and to a less extent that of flanks also) much lengthened, more lax; feathers of pileum short and blended in M. plumbea, more elongated and distinctly outlined in other species; rictal and postocular regions naked, the loral and frontal regions more or less scantily feathered.

Coloration. — (I) Adult males uniform black, including outer surface of wings; adult females brown, the head more dusky. (II) Adult male plain slate color, the wing-coverts spotted with white; adult female similar but under parts bright tawny. (Ill) Adult males brown above, the head and neck slate color or olive, the wing-coverts with or without white spots; under parts gray or slate color, darker (sometimes black) on throat, the flanks brownish; adult females duller, brownish or rufescent below, or (in M. læmosticta) similar to the male but the black throat barred with white. (IV) Adult males