0^ /J/P^ /a I ff^ ?/J CATALOGUE BIRDS BRITISH MUSEUM. - ,0^T^S|^ VOLUME III. LONDON: PRINTED BY ORDER OF THE TRUSTEES. 1S77. I DUPLICATE l-o. TRANSFERRED ^i 5-9 f~7 CATALOGUE PASSER IFORMES, PERCHING BIRDS, •■J HA VJ^ OF THE ^,. BRITISH MUSEUM. COLIOMORPHiE, CONTAINING THE FAMILIES OOBVID^, PABADISEID^, OKIOLID^. DICRURIDjE, AND PRIONOPID^. BT R. BOWDLER SHARPE. LONDON: PRINTED BY ORDER OF THE TRUSTEES. 1877. PKINTKD BY TAYLOR AND FRANCIS^ FED LION COURT, TLEET 8THEET. PREFACE. The Third Volume of the 'Catalogue of Birds in the British Museum ' has been prepared by Mr. R. B. Sharpe, one of the Senior Assistants in the Zoological Department, and author of the two preceding volumes. It contains the commencement of the account of aU the species of Passerine Birds known at present; and as no similar monograph of these Birds has been published since the year 1850, it may be hoped that the present work will not only assist the numerous students of this portion of the British- Museum coUections, but also prove useful to ornithologists, travellers, and collectors. ALBERT GUNTHER, Kee'per of the Department of Zoology. Britieh Museum, June 1877. INTRODUCTION. The present volume treats of the first group of the Passeriformes or Perching Birds, the Coliomorphce. The total number of species enumerated is 367, of which the British Museum contains 315 ; so that 52 are stiU wanting to complete the collection : of these missing species quite half the number are of doubtful specific value, and many of them wUl be eventually found to be referable to species which are duly described in the present work. The number of specimens enumerated is 2014. It is not without some satisfaction that the author is able to record the increasing assistance rendered to him by fellow labourers, by presentations to the collection and by the loan of specimens. Especial mention must be made of a donation of 1303 skins of Indian and Malayan birds made to the Museum by Capt. Stackhouse Pinwill. The series in the British Museum includes the collection of Corvidce formed by Mr. John Gould, the African birds formerly belonging to the author, Mr. "Wallace's tine series of Malayan Crows, and specimens collected by Mr. W. T. Blanford in Persia and by Dr. J. Anderson during the Yunan Expeditions. The Museum is further indebted for presents to the following gentlemen — Lord Lilford, Major Hayes Lloyd, Captain G. E. Shelley, Dr. B. Hinde, Captain Vincent Legge, A. 0. Hume, Esq., C.B., Messrs. Woodward (of Natal), and especially to the authorities of the Smithsonian Institution, who have contributed several species which were want- ing to the collection. The special thanks of the author for valuable assistance and loan VIU INTRODUCTION, of specimens arc due to The Marquis of Tweeddale, Captain Shelley, Messrs. Salvia and Godman, Howard Saunders, R. Swinhoe, Dr. Otto Finsch, Prof. J. B. Steere — but particularly to Dr. A. B. Meyer, who has sent him for description his interesting series of the genus Rectcs, procured by him during his voyage to the Moluccas. As in the former volumes, the aiBxes to the names of the persons from whom the specimens were obtained may be explained as fol- lows :— " [P.] " means " Presented by ; " " [C] " = " Collected by ; " " [E.] " = " Obtained by exchange." Where none of the above signs are used, the specimens were purchased. R. BOWDLER SHARPE. British Museum, June 6, 1S77. SYSTEMATIC INDEX. Order PASSERIFORMES. Suborder PASSERES. I. ACROMYODI. a. Passeres nonnales. Section TURDIFOEMES. Group I. OOLIOMORPHJE. Fam. CoBViD^. Siibfam. CoBviN^. Page 1. Trypauocorax, Sundev 8 1. t'nigilegus, L 9 2. pastinator, Gould 10 2. Heterocorax, Sharpe 11 1. capensis, Licht 12 3. Corviis, Z 13 1. corax, L 14 2. lawi'encii, Hume 15 3. ciyptoleiicus, Couch 15 4. umbrinus, 8und 17 5. ruticoUis, Less 17 G. leptonvx, Feale 19 7. coronoides, V. Sj- H. 20 8. culiuinatus, Si/kes 20 9. torquatus, Less 21 10. scapulatus, Daud 22 11. bawaiensis, Pertfe 13 4. Corvultur, Less 24 1. albicoUis, Lath 24 2. crassirostris, Itiipp 25 5. Colceiis, Kaup 2o 1. mouediila, Linn 26 a. collaris, Drumni 27 2. neglectus, Sehl 28 3. daimricus, Pall. 28 4. ossifragus, Wils 29 5. minutus, Gundl 29 G. Corone, Kaup 30 1 . cornix, L 31 (1. capeUana, Scl 32 VOL. III. Page 2. splendeus, T'ieill 33 a. insoleus, Hume 34 3. americana, Auduh 34 4. floridana, Baird 35 6. caurina, Baird 36 6. niexicana, Gm 36 7. corone, L 36 8. australis, Gould 37 9. macrorhyncha, Wugl. . . 38 a. levaillanti, Less 39 li. japouensis, Bp 41 10. validissima, Schl. 42 11. pbilippina, Bp 42 12. euca, Horsf. 43 a.. oiTu, Bp 44 /3. violacea, Bp 45 7. Rhinocorax, Sharpe 45 1. affiuis, Riipp 46 8. Gazzola, Bp 47 1. typica, Bp 47 9. Microcorax, Sharpe 48 1. jamaiceusis, Gm 48 2. solitarius, Wiirt 49 3. leucoguapbalus, Daud. . . 49 4. nasicus, Temm 49 10. Physocorax, Bp 50 1. moneduloides, Less 50 11. Gymnocorax, Sundev 50 1. senex, Less 50 12. Macrocorax, Sharpe 51 1. fuscicapiUus, Gray 51 13. Nucifraga, Briss 52 1. caryocatactes, Linn 53 2. liemispila, Vigors 54 3. iniiltipiiuctata, Gould . . 55 4. Columbiana, Wils 66 14. Strepera, Less 57 1. graculiua, Mliite 57 2. crissalis, Sharpe 68 3. arguta, Goidd 69 4. interiuedia, Sharpe 59 5. cuneicaudata, Vieill 60 «. plunibea, Gmild GO b SYSTEMATIC INDEX. Page t). melauoptera, Ooidd. ... 151 7. fuliginosa, Gould 61 15. Pica, Briss 62 1. pica, Linn 62 a. leucoplera, Gould. ... 66 2. niaurilauiea, Malh 66 3. nuttalli, Aiidub 66 16. Cyanopolius, Bp 67 1. cvanus, P(dl 68 2. cboki, Bp 69 17. Urocissa, Cab 69 1. occipitalis, Bh/th 70 2. magnirostris, Bh/th .... 71 8. erythrorliyucba, Gm. . . 71 •4. davirostris, Bli/t/i 72 5. cferulea, Gould 74 18. Cryptorbiua, JVciffl 74 1. afra, L 75 19. Dendrocitta, Gould 75 1. rufa, Scop 76 2. frontalis, McClell 78 3. leucogastra, Gould .... 79 4. himalayensis, Bbjth .... 79 5. formosae, Swinh 80 6. sinensis, Lath 81 7. occipitalis, Midi. 81 8. bayleyi, Tytler 82 20. Crypsirhina, Vieill. 83 1. varians. Lath 83 2. cucullata, Jerd 84 21. Cissa, Boie 84 1. chinensis, 5oc?d 85 u. minor, Cah 86 2. thalassina, Temm 86 3. ornata, Wagl. 87 22. Calocitta, Gra^j 88 1. formosa, Sic 88 2. colliei, Vig 89 23. Platysmurus, Reichenb. . . 90 1. leucopterus, Temm 90 2. atenimus, Temm 91 24. Temniirus, Less 91 1. truncatus, Less 91 25. Garrulus, Briss 91 1. glandarius, Linn 93 2. hyrcanus, Blanf. 94 3. japonicus, Bp 95 4. minor, Verr 96 5. brandti, Eversm 96 (5. atricapillus, Geoffr 97 7. cervicalis, Bp 98 8. krynickii, Kalen 99 9. leucotis, Hume 99 10. bispecularis. Vigors. . . . 100 11. sinensis, Sharpe 101 12. taivaniis, Goidtl 101 Page 13. lanceolatus. Vigors .... 101 14. lidthi, ^;j 102 26. Perisoreus, Bp 103 1. int'austus, L 108 2. canadensis, L 104 3. obscurus, Ridgiv 105 4. capitalis, Baird 106 27. Cyanocitta, Strickl 106 1. cristata, L 107 2. stelleri, Gm. . 108 3. macrolopha, Baird. . . . 110 4. coronata, Sxo Ill 5. diademata, Bp Ill 28. Aplielocoma, Cab 112 1. californica, Vigors .... 113 2. sumiclirasti, Ridgw. . . 114 3. woodhousii, Baird .... 114 4. ultramavina, Bp 115 06. couchi, Baird 116 5. sordida, Sto 116 a. arizonse, Ridgw 117 6. floridana, Bartr 117 7. unicolor, Du Bus .... 118 8. nana, Du Bus 118 29. Cyanocorax, Boie 119 1. chrysops, V. 120 2. diesingi, Pelz 121 3. affinis, Pe?a. 121 4. sclateri, Heine 122 5. cayanus, L 122 6. intermedius, Heine . . 12.3 7. cyanopogon, Nemvied. . 123 8. mystacalis, Geoffr 124 9. cyanomelas, V. 124 10. cliilensis, Bp 125 1 1. violaceus, Du Bus .... 125 12. cffiruleus, V. 126 13. heckeli, Fek 126 14. ornatus, Less 127 15. pumilo, Strickl. 127 16. argentigula, Lawr 128 30. Xanthiira, 5^9 128 1. yncas, Bodd 129 2. cferuleocephala, Diibois 130 3. cyanocapilla, Cab 131 4. luxuosa, Less 132 5. sanblasiana, Lafr 132 6. beecheii, Vigors 133 7. yucatanica, Dubois .... 133 8. melanocyanea, HaHl. . . 134 9. viridicyanea, D'Orb. ^ Lafr 134 10. jolyffia, ^;j 135 11. tm-cosa, Bp 135 12. quindiuna, Scl. ^ Salv. 135 13. meridana, Scl. 8c Salv. 136 SYSTEMATIC INDEX. 14. armillata, Gray 31. Uroleuca, Cab 1. cvanoleuca, Nemoied . . 32. Gyiunokitta, Bp 1 . cvanocephala, Xetnvied 33. Psilorliinua, Ri'qyp 1. morio, War/l 2. mexicanus, Rilpp 3. cyanog'enYs, Sharpe . . 34. Striithidea, 'Gould 1. cinerea, Gotdd 35. Pioatliarteg, Less 1. gTmnocephalus, Temm. 36. Glaucopis, Gm 1. cinerea, Gm 2. wilsoni, Bp 37. Heteralocha, Cab 1. acutirostris, Gould .... 38. Creadion, V. 1. carunculatus, Gm 39. Falciilia, Geoffr 1. palliata, Geoffr Siibfam. Feegilinje. 40. Graculus, Koch 1 . frraculus, L 41 . Pyrrhocorax, V. 1 . pjTi'hocoras, L* .... 42. Coi'corax, Less 1. melanorhamphus, V. . . 43. Podoces, Fischer 1. panderi, Fischer 2. hendersoni, Hume .... 3. biddulphi, Hume .... 4. humilis, Hume Fam. Paradiseid^. Subfam. Epim aching. 1. Ptilorlais, Sw 1. paradisea, L 2. victorire, GouM 3. alberti, Flliot 4. wilsoni, Of/den 5. magnifica, V. 2. Seleucide.s, Less 1. nigra, Shaw 3. Drepanornis, Sclater .... 1 . alberti.sii, Sclater 4. Epimachus, Cur 1 . speciosus, Bodd. 2. ellioti, Ward Subfam. Pahadisein.^. 5. Astrapia, V. 1. nigra, Gm 136 137 1.37 138 1.38 139 139 140 140 140 140 141 141 142 142 143 143 143 144 144 145 145 146 146 148 148 149 149 150 150 151 151 152 153 154 155 156 156 157 159 159 160 160 161 162 163 165 165 6. Paradigalla, Less 165 1. carimculata,J?yrf.(^. pallidirostris, Sharpe . . 293 10. Pinarolestes, Sharpe .... 293 1. megarbynchus, Q. Sf G. 295 2. parvubis, Gould 296 3. rufigaster, Gould .... 296 4. aifinis, Gray 297 5. melanorbyncbus, 3/e(/er 298 6. tenebrosus, Hartl. ^• Fimch 298 7. obsciu-us, Meyer 299 8. beinii, Fimch 8,- Hartl. 299 9. vitiensis, Hartl 299 a. buensis, Layard .... 300 /3. fortunse, Layard. . . . 300 y. compressirostris^fl!/- ard 301 10. macrorb}-nc]ius, Layard 301 a. maximus, Layard . . 301 11. nigrigularis, Layard . . 301 11. Cuphopterus, Hartl 302 1. dobi-ni, iTrt?-;;/ 302 12. Fraseria, £p 303 1. ocbreata, Strickl 303 2. cinerascens, Hartl 304 Page 13. Hemipus, Hodys 305 1. obscurus, Horsf. 305 2. capitabs, McC'lell 306 3. picatus, Sykes 307 14. Bradyorais, Smith 308 1. mai'iquensis, Smith. . . . 308 2. minor, Heu(/l 309 3. pallidas, 3/(/7/ 310 4. niuiiuus, Hartl. '^■Fiiisch 310 5. modestus, Shelley .... 310 6. -woodw&rdi, Sharpe . . . . 311 7. cbocolatina, -Riipp 311 8. silens, Shaw 312 9. senegalensis, Hartl. . . 313 10. ater, Sunder 314 11. diabolicu,?, Sharpe .... 314 15. Melaenomis, Sw 315 1. edolioides, Siv 315 16. HypocoliiLS, Bp 316 1. ampelinus, Bp 316 17. Platylopbus, Siv 317 1. galericulatus, Cuv 317 2. ardesiacus, Cab 317 3. coronatiis, Ra^ 318 18. Prionops, V 319 1. plumatus, Shatc 320 2. poliocepbalus, Stanley .. 321 3. talacoma, Smith 321 19. Sigmodus, Fi)iseh S^- Hartl. 322 1. rufiventris, Bp 323 2. caniceps, Bp 323 3. scopifroiL'i, Peters .... 324 4. retzii, Wahlh 324 5. tricolor, Gray 325 6. graculinus, Cab 325 Subfam. Euhycerotix^. 20. Euryceros, Less 326 1. prevosti, Less 326 ^.^__^ CATALOGUE '-^Ct'RAL h3^^' BIRDS. Order II. PASSERIFORMES. Perching birds, with a nude oil-gland and colic caeca. Cf. Garrod, P. Z. S. 1874, p. 119. Suborder I. PASSERES. Anomalogonatous birds with the second, third, and fourth toes directed forwards, and the hallux backwards ; the flexor longus hallucis muscle independent of the flexor perforans digitorum ; the caeca coli short, but at the same time of cha- racteristic shape ; oil-gland nude ; palate segithognathous * ; tensor patagii brevis specialized and quite peculiar. Cf. Garrod, P. Z. S. 1876, p. 508. The system of classification for the higher groups of Passerine birds to be followed in the present work will be that of Professor A. H. Garrod, who, after an exhaustive consideration of many points in their anatomy, has established his classification not on one, but on several characters. I am informed by him that he has devoted great attention to the characters given by Prof. Sundevall * Cf. Huxley, P. Z. S. 1867, p. 456. 2 PASSERES. (Meth. Av. Tent. p. 1) and by Dr. Elliott Coucs in the Introduction to the great work on North-American Birds, and that there are too many exceptions to be found to the characters laid down to render their diagnoses of the order comprehensive. At the same time it may be useful to give some characters propounded by the above-named ornithologists, as follows : — Hallux stout, furnished with a larger claw than the other toes ; greater coverts arranged in a single row, not reaching beyond the middle of the secondaries ; sternum simple, with a single notch in the posterior margin*. In the present work, for the lower groups, it is proposed to follow, as f;ir as possible, thu divisions of Professor Sundevall's ' Tentamen,' without adopting their exact order. However modified the arrange- ment may be, this useful treatise will form the basis of my classifi- cation. Severid alterations proposed by Dr. Coues will be adopted by me ; and at the same time the primary arrangement of the suborder as put forward by Prof. Garrod (/. c.) and by Mr. Wallace (in his essay entitled ' An Arrangement of the Famihes constituting the order Passcres ') will be followed, though the sequence of the families wUl be somewhat changed. For American Passeres the labours of Professor Baird and Mr. llidgway, in their great work on jVorth-Amcrican Birds, will be consulted ; and it is to be regretted that the details of the system of classification proposed by Messrs. Sclater and Salvin in their ' Nomenclator,' which seem to contain some original and highly natural combinations, have not yet been given to the world. Dr. Coues's full characterization of the Passeres is as follows : — " Hallux invariably present, completely incumbent, separately mo- vable by specialization of the flexor halluds hnijus, with enlarged base and its claw larger than that of the middle digit. Neither second nor fourth toe versatile ; joints of toes always 2, 3, 4, 5 from first to fourth. Wing-coverts comparatively short and few, with the exceptions of the least coverts upon i\\e plica aJaris, arranged in only two series, the greater of which does not reach beyond the middle of the secondary remiges. Eectrices 12 (with rare anomalous ex- ceptions). Musical apparatus present in greater or less development * The above cliaractevs, as a rule, suffice to separate tlie order Passeres from tlie so-called Picaria, and they are cliiefly those eMiployed by Professor Sim- devall (Meth. Av. Tent. p. 1) for his first order of birds {Oscines, Pallas). It may, however, be well to reproduce here the characters assigned to the order by Dr. Coues, one of the most painstaking of modern systematic ornithologists, who, in avowedly confessing that his classification is based upon that of SundevaU, modestly omits reference to the very useful compendium of addi- tional and secondary characters which he has himself furnished. It is a fact admitted by all ornithologists who have paid attention to the classification of the class Aves, that a really satisfactory systematic arrangement of the families does not at present exist ; but during the last ten years the labours of Pro- fessors Huxley and Parker, Professor Garrod, Dr. Murie, Dr. Elliott Coues, and other well-known anatomists have produced a wonderful cliange in the classi- fication of birds ; and it is not too much to expect that in another equal period a satisfactory arrangement of tlie class will have been proijounded. PASSERES. 3 and com])Ioxity. Palate segithognathous. Sternum of one particular mould, single-notched. Carotid single (sinistra). Nature highly altricial and psilopajdic." " As remarked by Sundovall, exceptions to the diagnostic per- tinence of these two characters of hind claw and wing-coverts are scarcely found. For, in such non-Passerine birds as liaptores and some Herodionex, in which the claw is enlarged, the wing-coverts are otherwise disposed ; and similarly when, as in many Fici and elsewhere, the coverts are of a Passerine character, the feet are highly diverse." {Cf. Coues, in Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway's ' North-American Birds,' p. xv.) Division I. ACROMYODI. Subdivision I. PASSERES NORMALES. Cf. Garrod, P. Z. S. 1876, p. 518. Section A. TURLIFORMES. (TYPICAL OR THRUSH-LIKE PASSERES.) Wing with ten primaries, the first more or less markedly reduced in size. Cf. WaUace, Ibis, 1874, p. 409. Synopsis of Groups. a. Angle of chin produced very far forwards, so as to extend beyond the line of the anterior margin of the nasal suture .... COLIOMORPH.SI. b. Angle of the chin reaching as far as the line of the anterior margin of the nasal sutiire, but not beyond it. a'. Tongue not extensile. a". Bin notched near the tip of the upper mandible CICHLOMORPH^. b". BiU entire, not notched CERTHIOMOEPH^. b'. Tongue extensile CINNYRIMORPH^. Group I. COLIOMORPH^. Bill stout, generally of large size, not deflected at aU, or very little so ; cliin-angle produced before the line of the nostrils * ; cutting edge of lower mandibles simple. Tongue not extensile, generally thick and fleshy, the tip homy, slight, divided, or split up into threads in various ways. Feet in most strong, large, with the claw of the middle toe oblique. Cf. SundevaU, Av. Tent. p. 37. S>/nojJsis of Families. a. BiU without a distinct subterminal notch in the upper mandible. a'. Toes normal, the hallux very strong, but, with its claw, not as long as the middle toe and claw Corvidae, p. 4. v. Toes abnormal : outer toe a little shorter than the middle one, longer than the inner one ; hallux very large, with its claw equal to or longer than the middle toe with its claw Paradiseidse, p. 153. I. Bill with a notch in the upper mandible. c'. Nostrils placed well in front of the base of the biU and quite bare OriolidSB, p. 188. d' . Nostrils more or less covered with bristles, generally completely so. «". Tail forked, consisting of ten feathers . DicruridaB, p. 228. h" . Tail moderate, rounded or square, con- sisting of twelve feathers PrionopidSB, p. 270. Family CORVID^. a. Nostrils placed high in the maxilla, as near to or nearer the calmen than the edge of the maxilla Subfam. CORVINjE, p. 5. t. Nostrils placed lower in the maxUla, nearer to its lower edge than to the cuhnen Szibfam. FREGILIN^, p. 146. * In some of the Jays the nostril and the chin-angle are nearly in a line ; but in most of them, when the skeleton has been examined (as I have been able to do in nearly all Corvine genera), it gives the balance in favour of the pro- duced angle of the chin. S