distinctly but not sharply ridged, straight for about basal half then more and more decurved terminally, the tip of maxilla minutely but distinctly uncinate; maxillary tomium slightly but decidedly concave, minutely but distinctly notched subterminally; mandibular tomium nearly straight, minutely notched subterminally; gonys nearly straight terminally, gently convex basally. Nostril exposed, widely separated from feathering of frontal antiæ (the intervening space occupied by membrane), broadly (longitudinally) oval, the internal tubercle visible within the posterior half. Rictal bristles present but minute. Wing moderate, with longest primaries extending decidedly beyond secondaries; sixth and seventh, fifth, sixth, and seventh, or sixth, seventh, and eighth, primaries longest, the tenth (outermost) more than half to about three-fifths as long as the longest, the ninth shorter than secondaries. Tail decidedly less than half as long as wing (M. pygmæa) to slightly more than half as long, very slightly to decidedly rounded, the rectrices (10 in M. pygmæa and M. cinereiventris?,[1] 12 in M. surinamensis and M. assimilis) rather narrow, rounded terminally. Tarsus much longer than exposed culmen, much shorter than tail and about one-third as long as wing in M. surinamensis, very much shorter than tail and decidedly less than one-third as long as wing in M. cinereiventris and M. assimilis, nearly as long as tail and much more than one-third as long as wing in M. pygmæa, distinctly scutellate, the plantar scutella in two longitudinal series; middle toe, with claw, much shorter than tarsus; outer toe, without claw, reaching to beyond middle of subterminal phalanx of middle toe, the inner toe decidedly shorter; hallux about as long as inner toe but much stouter; basal phalanx of middle toe wholly united to outer toe, for about half its length to inner toe; claws moderate in size and curvature, that of the hallux much shorter than the digit. Plumage soft and full, that of the rump much developed and fluffy; pileum not crested.
Coloration. — Adult males black above, conspicuously streaked with white, the wing with two broad white bands, or else plain gray or slate color above, with small white tips to wing-coverts, the tail with white terminal spots; the under parts white streaked with black (M. surinamensis) or immaculate pale yellow (M. pygmæa), or plain gray or slate color (M. cinereiventris and M. assimilis); adult females with head and neck tawny or cinnamomeous, streaked with black above, otherwise much like adult males, or else with under parts cinnamomeous.[2]
Nidification. — Nest made of fine roots and grass and suspended in a fork; eggs white or greenish- white.
