uf the Genus Hirundinea. 197 



inclined to retain the name hellicosa for this form, until I have 

 had the opportunity of comparing Paraguayan and Bolivian 

 specimens. 



The Bogota skin in the British Museum agrees with Prof. 

 Reinhardt^s Peruvian bird. 



Azara tells us that this bird makes its appearance in Paraguay 

 in the spring, at the same time as Tyrannus melancholicus, to 

 which it presents much resemblance in physiognomy and habits. 

 Sometimes, he says, it may be seen perched upon the roofs and 

 towers, and at other times crying about the porticos of the 

 churches and towers hke a Swallow. 



D'Orbigny says that he met with H. bellicosa on the eastern 

 slope of the Bolivian Andes, in Cochabamba, Chuquisaca, and 

 Challuani, and again in the province of Chiquitos, at the Mis- 

 sion of Santiago ; so that it inhabits the warm districts of his 

 first and second regions of elevation. It is seen in the villages, 

 where it is as familiar as a domestic bird, remaining always in 

 the courts^ in the streets, on the roofs, and perching upon the 

 balustrades of the corridors. Here it seeks its food, which con- 

 sists of spiders and other insects. It appropriates the nests of 

 the Oven-birds [Furnarius) or of the Swallows, after having 

 driven out the proprietors, and appears to resort to them the 

 whole year for the purpose of roosting. It is of a quarrelsome 

 disposition, like other Tyrannida, and is constantly battling with 

 the Swallows and Oven-birds which frequent the same kind of 

 places. Its flight is horizontal, like that of the Swallows, which 

 it resembles in all its habits. 



Tschudi tells us that this species is found in the coast-region 

 of Peru as well as in the eastern , wood-region ; but 1 should be 

 rather inclined to suppose that there is some error here, as I 

 have never seen this bird in collections from Western Peru. 



As will be seen from the diagnoses, the present bird is much 

 more nearly like H. ferruginea than H. rupestris, but is readily 

 distinguishable from the former species by the ferruginous red 

 of the tail-feathers. This colour occupies the whole of the inner 

 webs of the rectrices, from their bases to within about an inch of 

 their extremities, except in the case of the middle pair, in which 

 it only occupies the basal third. 



