AVES DENDROCOLAPTID^. 757 



of judging of distance or thickness even after the shortest circuitous route, 

 for otherwise they would not have made so many vain attempts." (Voyage 

 of Beagle, Birds, pp. 65-66, 1841.) 



Geositta ANTARCTICA Landbeck. 



(Plate II) 



Geositfa antarctica Landbeck, Wiegmann's Arch, fiir Naturg. (46 Jahrg.) i. 



p. 274 (1880) (Tierra del Fuego). 

 Geositta longipeniiis Ridgway, Proc. U. S. N. M. xii. 1889, p. 133 (1890) 



(Elizabeth Island, Straits of Magellan). 

 Geositta brevirostris Scott, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club, x. no. Ixxi. p. Ixii. 1900 

 (Mt. Tiger, Patagonia). 



Description. — Female adult, P. U. O. C. 7769, near Mt. Tiger, August 

 14, 1896 (type of G. brevirostids Scott). Total length, 6.25 inches ; wing, 

 4.25; culmen, .55; tail, 2.36; tarsus, .75. Above uniform wood brown, 

 below white tinged with vinaceous and with an obscure band of dusky 

 mottling across the chest, and a vinaceous superciliary stripe. This bird 

 is in full fresh plumage and compared with G. cunicularia cuuicularia in 

 similar condition differs in having tertials, wing tips and dark areas on tail 

 feathers much blacker, wing edgings not so conspicuous, light areas on 

 remiges much paler, vinaceous instead of tawny, and the dark band on 

 secondaries almost obsolete, rump patch nearly white. With wings and 

 tail closed, the resemblance of these two species is very striking, though 

 the longer wing and shorter bill of the present form easily distinguish it. 



The fact that the seasonal plumages of each of these birds differ more 

 than either one does from the corresponding plumages of the other species 

 has doubtless had much to do with the confusion that has arisen in con- 

 nection with this species. Only a single specimen was obtained. 



Geographical Range. — Southern Patagonia ; Tierra del Fuego, Eliza- 

 beth Island, Straits of Magellan and Mount Tiger (Cape Fairvveather region 

 southeastern Patagonia). 



Geositta rufipennis rufipennis (Burmeister). 



Geobamoii rufipennis Burmeister, Jour, fiir Ornith. viii. Jahrg. No. 46, p. 

 249, No. 94 (July i860) (" Parana "= Cordillera de Mendoza). 

 Description. — 6783 Coll. Acad. Nat. Sciences Phila. Chili, Gelless 

 Colin. Total length, 6.20 inches; wing, 4.05 ; culmen, .56; tail, 2.28; tar- 



