Genera Microbates and Rhamphocseniis. 93 



* fere simili ; sed cauda brevissima, alas baud superante, primo 

 -^ visu distingueudus. Typus M. torquatus, sp. nov. 



The single species of the genus known to us was described 

 as follows : — 



> Microbates torquatus. 

 // Supra murino-brunneus unicolor, alis caudaque concolori- 

 ■i- bus ; superciliis angustis elongatis et genis albis ; spatio 



>* postoculari et striga rictali indistincta nigris : subtus 



/ albus, torque pectorali nigro; hypochondriis et crisso 



fulvescentibus ; rostro superiore scbistaceo^ bujus tomiis 

 et mandibula inferiore albicantibus ; pedibus clare cory- 

 linis : long, tota 3*5, alae 2*0, caudse I'O, rostri a rictu 

 0-9, tarsi 0-95. 

 Hab. Cayenna, prope urbem '' St. George d^Oyapock." 

 The only example of this curious little bird then known 

 to us, which still remains unique in my collection, was ob- 

 tained in 1872 from Madame Verdey of Paris. It bears 

 a label in a handwriting at that time unknown to me, 

 but which I have since made out to be that of M. Jelski, 

 the well-known collector of the Warsaw Museum. The 

 label informs us that the specimen was obtained by him at 

 St. George d'Oyapock in Cayenne, in 1869, and was of the 

 female sex. 



Since the description of Microbates torquatus was pub- 

 lished in 1872, I have found that what is evidently the same 

 bird has been described by Herr v. Pelzeln in 1871 in his 

 ' Oruithologie Brasiliens ' under the name Rhamphocaniis col- 

 laris (op. cit. p. 157), which being the oldest, should be 

 adopted for this species. 



The specimens of this bird described by Herr v. Pelzeln 

 were obtained by Natterer at Barra do liio Negro, Mara- 

 bitanas, and on the Rio lyanna, showing that, like many 

 other Cayenne species, it extends far into the interior. 



Natterer describes the iris of this bird as dark brown ; the 

 bill black above, and dirty white, passing into greyish, be- 

 neath ; tarsus and toes clear bluish grey, claws brownish 

 grey. He obtained six specimens in all, and notes the sexes 

 as alike. 



