BIRDS. 67 



is common in La Plata, the Falkland Islands, and Tierra del Fuego ; in the latter 

 it frequents the higher parts of the mountains, or those exposed to the western 

 gales, which are free from forests, for it is a bird that exclusively lives in open 

 countries and on the ground. I believe it is not found in Chile ; nor is it common 

 on the coast of Patagonia. This species in its habits is very different from the 

 three following closely allied ones, since the latter never, or most rarely, leave the 

 sea beach, whilst this bird, excepting by chance, is never seen there, but always 

 in the interior country. Nevertheless with this marked difference in habits, (there 

 are several other points beside that of the station frequented), if the preserved 

 skins of O. purvulus and O. vulgaris were placed in the hands of any one, even 

 perhaps of a practised ornithologist, he would at first hesitate to consider them 

 distinct, although upon closer examination he would find many points of differ- 

 ence, — of which the much greater strength of the feet and the greater length of 

 the tarsus are conspicuous in those species, which live amongst the stones on the 

 sea beach. 



2, Opetiorhynchus Patagonicus. G. R. Gray. 



Patagonian Warbler, Lath. Syn. iv. p. ^S-i. 

 Jlotacilla Patagoiiica, Gmel. 

 Motacilla Gracula, Forst. Draw. No. ICO. 

 Sylvia Patagonica, Lath. Index, ii. 517. 

 Furnarlus Lessonii, Diimont. 



Cliilensis, Less. Voy. de la Coqu. i. p. 671, n. Tr. d'Omith. p. 307, pi. 73, f. 1. 



Opetiorhynchus rupestris, Kittl. Mem. de I'Acad. St. Petersb. i. p. 188, pi. viii. 

 Uppucerthia rupestris, D'Orh. Sf Lafr. Mag. de Zool. 1838, p. 21. 



This bird is extremely common on the sea shore of all the bays and channels 

 of Tierra del Fuego ; on the western coast it is replaced in Northern Chile by the 

 O. nigrofumosiis, and in the Falkland Islands by the O. antarcticus. As the 

 habits of this species and those just named are quite similar, I shall describe 

 them all together under the head of O. nigrofumosiis. A specimen of O. Pata- 

 gonicus from Chiloe has a bill rather more than two-tenths of an inch longer than 

 in those from Tierra del Fuego ; but as no other difference can be perceived, I 

 cannot allow that this is a specific character any more than in the case of the 

 Uppucerthia. 



3. Opetiorhynchus antarcticus. G. R. Gray. 



Certhia antarctica, Gam. Ann. des Sc. Nat. 1826. 

 Furnarius fuliginosus, Less. Voy. de la Coqu. Zool. i. p. 670. 

 Patagonian Warbler, Xafh. $ in Dixon's Voy. App. No. 1, 359 and pi. 



This species inhabits the Falkland Islands. My specimens were procured at 



