Page:Birds of North and Middle America partV Ridgway.djvu/175

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BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA.
147

feathers of chin and upper throat with long, slender, terminal setæ. Wing moderate or rather large, with longest primaries projecting considerably beyond secondaries; sixth and seventh, or fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth primaries longest, the tenth (outermost) about two-thirds to three-fourths as long as the longest, the ninth decidedly to much longer than secondaries. Tail two-fifths to nearly half as long as wing, even, or very slightly rounded, the rectrices (12) rounded terminally. Tarsus less than half as long as wing, slender, the planta fused (non-scutellate) or with scutella indistinct, its inner edge scarcely if at all convolute, the acrotarsium with 12-14 scutella; middle toe, with claw, about two-thirds as long as tarsus, longer than whole culmen; outer toe, without claw, reaching to a little beyond subterminal articulation of middle toe, the inner toe slightly shorter; hallux shorter than inner toe, not conspicuously stouter; basal phalanx of middle toe united for more than half its length to outer toe, for less than half to inner toe; claws short to moderately long, not strongly curved, moderately compressed, not grooved laterally, that of the hallux shorter than the digit. Plumage very full, that of rump and flanks (especially the former) elongated and more lax; a small naked postocular space (except in G. squamigera[1] and allies).

Coloration. — Above olive, the hindneck and part of pileum grayish, distinctly squamated with black (squamations indistinct in G. squamigera, which has the under parts conspicuously barred or lunulated with black); tail rufescent brown or russet (except in G. squamigera); under parts rufescent or tawny, sometimes more or less variegated, especially on throat, sometimes mixed olive and buffy with indistinct bars of darker.

Range. — Southern Mexico to Cayenne, southeastern Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru. (about ten species, including subspecies.)

KEY TO THE SUBSPECIES OF GRALLARIA GUATIMALENSIS.

a. Coloration darker, the general color of under parts ochraceous to tawny; black squamations of upper parts much heavier; gray of hindneck and pileum much clearer (more bluish) much more extended, the forehead much less extensively (sometimes not at all) brownish; size averaging considerably smaller (maximum average measurements: wing 113.3, tail 41.8, culmen, 27.2, tarsus 49.6, middle toe 25.3).

b. Darker; under parts tawny to chestnut- tawny; larger (averaging: wing 111.7 or more, tarsus 48.2 or more, middle toe 24.4 or more), except tail and bill.
c. Slightly paler, with black squamations of upper parts narrower; averaging slightly larger, except bill and middle toe (wing averaging 113.3, tail 41.5, culmen 25.8, tarsus 49.6, middle toe 24.4). (Chiapas to northern Nicaragua.)

Grallaria guatimalensis guatimalensis (p. 148).


  1. G. squamigera also differs in having the planta tarsi partly scutellate, the tail nearly half instead of only two-fifths as long as wing, with firmer rectrices, relatively longer outermost primary, and other minor characters,, and may not be congeneric.