104 PERSPICILLA. 



or grallatorial. This latter we consider tft be repre- 

 sented by the Sylvia perspicillata of the old authors, 

 a bird which was even known to Buffon, but which 

 has hitherto been very imperfectly described, and 

 never figured. It forms the type of our genus 



PERSPICILLA, 



and we now annex a description of both sexes, pro- 

 cured in the southern parts of Brazil, where it is by 

 no means common. Its relation to the water-chats 

 is indisputable, for its entire organization bespeaks 

 it a terrestrial bird, possessing something of the 

 structure both of Fluvicola and of Akctura, yet 

 exhibiting a strength of foot and a form of bill 

 which separates it from both ; the whole appearance 

 of this bird, in fact, is very striking, as will be seen 

 by the annexed figure. 



It is rather larger than Alectura^ and is more truly 

 characteristic of a grallatorial form, from the excessive 

 developement of those quill-feathers which lay over 

 the others. Setting aside the universality of this 

 fact among the typical waders, we see it in their 

 representatives the larks {Alaudince), pepits (An- 

 thus)) wagtails (Motacilla)^ and numerous others. 

 The structure of Perspicilla, therefore, although sin- 

 gular and unique in its own circle, is in the most 

 perfect harmony with those groups it represents in 

 other circles. The nakedness of its face and the 

 weakness of the bristles round the mouth, reminds 



