TAPACULO 947 



its allied forms, which are now found to constitute a small Family, 

 Pteroptochidai, belonging to the Tracheophonous division of Passeres, 

 and therefore peculiar to South America. About 20 species, dis- 

 posed by Mr. Sclater (Cat. B. Br. Mus. xv. pp. 337-352) in 8 genera, 

 are believed to belong to this group. 



The species of the Family first made known is Scytalopus 

 magellanicus, originally described in 1783 by Latham {Gen. Syn. iv. 

 p. 464) as a Warbler. Even in 1836 Gould not unnaturally took 

 it for a Wren, Avhen establishing the genus to which it is now 

 referred ; but some ten years after Johannes Miiller found that 

 Scytalopus, together -wdth the true Tapaculo, which was first descriljed 

 by Kittlitz in 1830, possessed anatomical characters that removed 

 them far from any position previously assigned to them, and deter- 

 mined their true place as above given. In the meanwhile a kindred 

 form, Hylactes, also first described in 1830, had been shewn by 

 Eyton to have some very exceptional osteological features, and 

 these were found to be also common to Pteroptochus and Scijta- 

 lopns. In 1860 Professor Cabanis recognized the Pteroptuchidai as a 

 distinct Family, but made it also include Menuni (Lyrebird, p. 

 523), while some years later Mr. Sclater {Ihis, 1874, p. 191, note) 

 thought that Atrichnrnis (Scrub-bird, p. 820) might belong here. 

 It was Garrod in 1876 and 1877 who finally divested the Family of 

 these aliens, but, until examples of some of the other genera have 

 been anatomically examined, it may not be safe to say that they all 

 belong to the Pteroptochklx. 



The true Tapaculo, P. albicolUs, has a general resemblance in 

 plumage to the females of some of the smaller Shrikes (p. 845), and 

 to a cursory observer its skin might pass for that of one ; but its 

 shortened wings and powerful feet would on closer inspection at 

 once reveal the difference. In life, however, its appearance must 

 be wholly unlike, for it rarely flies, hops actively on the ground or 

 among bushes, with its tail erect or turned towards its head, and 

 continually utters various and strange notes, — some, says Mr. 

 Darwin, are " like the cooing of doves, others like the bubbling of 

 water, and many defy all similes." The " 2\crco," its fellow-country- 

 man, Hylactes megapodius, is larger, Avith greatly developed feet and 

 claws, but is very similar in colour and habits. Two more species 

 of Hylactes are known, and one other of Pteroptochus, all of which 

 are peculiar to Chili or Patagonia. The sjoecies of Scytalojnis are 

 as small as Wrens, mostly of a dark 

 colour, and inhabit pai'ts of Brazil 

 and Colombia, one of them occur- 

 ring so far northward as Bogota.^ 



T m • 1 ji , • CoNOPOPHAGA. (After Swainson.) 



^ iliis may be the most convenient 



place to mention another South-American Family, Conopophagida;, suggested by 



Garrod {Proc. Zool. Soc. 1877, p. 452), and subsequently shewn by Forbes {pp. cit. 



