192 Mr. P. L. Sclater on the Neotropical 



a", ungue postico brevi 



i rostro brevi 4. Pteroptochus. 



I rostro elongate 5. Rhinocrypta. 



b'". ungue postico longo curvo 0. Hylactes. 



b. mesorhinio in scutum ovale expanso. 



c'. ungue postico longo, recto, acuto 7. Acroptemis. 



d'. ungue postico modico, curvo 8. Triptorhinus. 



Genus 1. Scytalopus. 



Scytalopus, Gould, P. Z. S. 1836, p. 89: type S.fuscus, 

 Gon\d=S. magellanicus. 



Sylviaxis, Lesson, Rev. Zool. 1840, p. 274 : type S. magel- 

 lanicus. 



Agathopus, Sclater, P. Z. S. 1858, p. 69: type A. micro- 

 pterus, Scl. =>S^. analis. 



The genus Scytalopus embraces a series of small Wren-like 

 birds, thinly distributed over South America from Patagonia 

 to Columbia, but in the north keeping to the temperate regions 

 of the Andes. One species occurs in the wood-region of S.E. 

 Brazil, and another in the interior, but none, so far as vre 

 know, in Amazonia and Guiana. From the true Wrens the 

 Scytalopodes may be easily distinguished externally by the 

 operculum of the nostril and the divided scutes on the planta. 



I have six distinct species of Scytalopus in my collection ; 

 and there are two others known of which I have not yet suc- 

 ceeded in getting examples. 



The most complete account yet given of the species of this 

 genus is that of Lafresnaye in Jardine^s ' Contributions to 

 Ornithology' for 1851. 



The species of Scytalopus may be arranged as follows : — 



a. supra unicolores, 



{minor, totus nigi'oplumbeus 1. magellanicus. 



minor : pectore albo-cinereo 2. speluncce. 



major, totus cinereus 3. senilis. 



major, ventre obsolete transradiato 4. obscurus. 



b, dorso postico rufo. 



a', hypocbondriis rufis 5, griseicollis. 



b'. hypochondriis rufo nigi'oque undulatis, 



minor : pectore schistaceo 6. sylvestris. 



minor : pectore albo 7. indigotictcs. 



major : pectore plumbeo 8. analis. 



