COCK-TAILED WATER-CHAT. 97 



the woods. Its food, in fact, appears to be semi- 

 aquatic insects, which it chiefly pursues on the 

 ground, although it sometimes perches upon the 

 reeds and aquatic shruhs, and darts upon insects 

 as they pass within reach. The males are solitary, 

 but it is not uncommon to find from two to six 

 females together, living, as it would seem, in little 

 troops. The males often take a flight almost ver- 

 tical, and then, before they alight, turning them- 

 selves over something like a tumbler-pigeon. 



The male has the upper plumage, for the most 

 part, black, the feathers being edged with grey. 

 Across the breast is a black collar, springing from 

 behind the ears, and almost obliterated in front ; 

 the shoulder-covers, and the edges of the quills, to- 

 gether with some spots on the front, are all white ; 

 the edges of the wing-covers, and the lower part of 

 the back, are cinereous ; the ears, stripe above the 

 eye, lores, and all the under plumage, is pure white. 

 The singular form of the tail is best understood by 

 the figure. Its colour is deep black, excepting the 

 grey tips of the lateral feathers. The female I have 

 not yet seen. This species is found both in Para- 

 guay and in Southern Brazil. 



Total length, 5^ inches ; bill, gape, fy ; front, 

 T 4 o ; wings, 2| ; tail, from the base, 2^ ; tarsus, f . 



The passage from Alecturus to the common tailed 

 water-chats is not yet rendered unquestionable by 

 a series of intervening forms ; but there are some 

 with long winp* and short triangular bills, to which 

 we shall retain I he name of 



