TYEANTS. 



93 



does not merely describe some peculiarity of form or 

 colour. 



" This Tyrant is one of the largest of its kind, its 

 total length being nearly 9 in. The wings are long and 

 suited for an aerial life ; the legs are exceedingly short, 

 and the feet are used for perching only, for this species 

 never alights on the ground." 



" In Buenos Ayres these birds arrive in September, 

 after which their shrill, angry cries are incessantly 

 heard, while the birds are seen pursuing each other 

 through the air or in and out amongst the trees 

 perpetually driven about by the contending passions of 

 love, jealousy, and rage. As soon as their domestic 

 broils are over, a fresh war against the whole feathered 

 race begins, which does not cease until the business of 

 propagation is finished. I have frequently spent hours 

 watching the male successively attacking, with scarcely 

 an interval of rest, every bird, big or little, approaching 

 the sacred tree where its nest was placed. Its indigna- 

 tion at the sight of a cowardly Carrion-Hawk (Milvago) 

 skulking about in search of small birds'-nests, and the 

 boundless fury of its onset, were wonderful to witness. 



" They are extremely active, and when not engaged 

 in their endless aerial battles, are pursuing large insects 

 on the wing, usually returning after each capture to 

 their stand, from which they keep a jealous watch on 

 the movements of all winged things about them. They 

 are fond of marshy places and water-courses, where 

 they perch on a tall stalk to watch for insects, and 

 also frequently skim over the water like Swallows to 

 drink and dip their feathers. 



" A tall tree is usually selected for the nest, which 

 is not infrequently placed on the very topmost twigs, 

 exposed to the sight of every creature passing overhead, 

 and as if in defiance of birds of prey. With such an 

 aggressive temper as this bird possesses, it is not 

 strange perhaps that it builds in the most exposed 

 places, from which the female, in the absence of her 

 vigilant consort, can keep a sharp eve on the movements 

 of her feathered neighbours ; but I have often thought 

 it singular that they do not make a deeper receptacle 

 for their eggs, for the nest is merely a slight platform 

 of slender sticks, and very ill-adapted to retain its 

 burden during high winds. The parasitical Cbwbird 

 never enters this nest, -which is not strange. 



" The eggs are four in number, small for the bird, 

 pointed, parchment-white, spotted with dark brown at 

 the larger end." 



The London Zoological Gardens acquired an example 

 of this Tyrant in 1893. 



FORK-TAILED TYRANT (Milvulus tyrannus). 



Above ashy ; rump blackish ; wings dark brown ; 

 three outer primaries attenuated at tips ; tail black, the 

 outermost feather with white outer web ; crown black, 

 with concealed yellow crest ; below white ; bill and feet 

 black. Female differs in the shorter outer tail feathers. 

 Hab., Mexico, and Central and South America as far 

 south as Patagonia. 



Hudson says (" Argentine Ornithology," Vol. I., pp. 

 160, 161) : " During flight the two lone: feathers of the 

 tail stream out behind like a pair of "black ribbons; 

 frequently the bird pauses suddenly in its flight, and 

 then the two long feathers open out in the form of the 

 letter V. 



"The Scissor-tail is migratory, and arrives, already 

 mated, at Buenos Ayres at the end of September, and 

 takes its departure at the end of February in families 

 old and young birds together. In disposition and 

 general habits it resembles the true Tyrant-birds, but 

 differs from them in language, its various chirping and 



twittering notes having a hard percussive sound, which. 

 Azara well compares to the snapping of castanets. It 

 prefers open situations with scattered trees and bushes T 

 and is also partial to marshy grounds, where it takes. 

 up a position on an elevated stalk to watch for. insects., 

 and seizes them in the air like the Flycatchers. It also- 

 greedily devours elderberries and other small fruits. 



" The nest is not deep, but is much more elaborately 

 constructed than is usual with the Tyrants. Soft 

 materials are preferred, and in many cases the nests- 

 are composed almost exclusively of wool. The inside is- 

 cup-shaped, with a flat bottom, and is smooth and hard, 

 the thistle-down with which it is lined being cemented 

 with gum. The eggs are four, sharply pointed, light 

 cream-colour, and spotted, chiefly at the large end, with, 

 chocolate. In the breeding-time these Tyrants attack 

 other birds approaching the nest with great spirit, and 

 have a particular hatred to the Chimango, pursuing it 

 with the greatest violence through the air with angry 

 notes, resembling in sound the whetting of a scythe,, 

 but uttered with great rapidity and emphasis. How 

 greatly this species is imposed upon by the Cow -bird f 

 notwithstanding its pugnacious temper, we 'have already 

 seen in my account of that bird. 



" The Scissor-tail has one remarkable habit ; they are 

 not gregarious, but once every day, just before the sun- 

 sets, all the birds living near together rise to the tops 

 of the trees, calling to one another with loud, excited 

 chirps, and then mount upwards like rockets to a great 

 height in the air ; then, after whirling about for a few 

 moments, they precipitate themselves downward with 

 the greatest violence, opening and shutting their tails 

 during their wild zigzag flight, and uttering a succes- 

 sion of sharp, grinding notes. After this curious per- 

 formance, they separate in pairs, and, perching on the 

 tree-tops, each couple utters together its rattling 

 castanet notes, after which the company breaks up." 



Dr. Russ does not mention this species, but the 

 London Zoological Gardens purchased a specimen in 

 April, 1893. 



CHATTERERS (Cotingida) 



Birds of the New World, some of which are bril- 

 liantly coloured, though others are sombre in hues. 

 Like the Tyrants, they have all ten primaries well 

 developed, though in the sub-family to which Dr. 

 Sclater has given the name Tityrinoe the second (now 

 called the ninth) primary is shortened and lanceolate. 

 They are nearly related to the Pipridce, which- 

 systematic ornithologists have unfortunately called 

 Manakins, thus rendering them liable to be confounded 1 

 with the Finches generally recognised as Mannikins. 

 to which, of course, they have no affinity whatever. 

 The Chatterers are fruit-eating birds, and in captivity 

 might be treated much in the same manner as Tanagers. 



COCK OF THE EOCK (Rupicola crocea). 



Bright orange 5 head with large compressed crest;: 

 wings brown, broadly belted with white ; outer edges 

 and broad tips of secondaries pale orange, the outer- 

 secondaries with their outer webs prolonged into fila- 

 ments ; tail blackish-brown with pale orange extremity ; 

 bill and feet yellowish. Female olive-brown; rump. 

 tail, abdomen, and under wing-coverts washed with 

 orange-brown. Hab., Guiana, Cayenne, and Lowe 

 Amazons. (Sclater.) 



Burmeister says (" Systematische Uebersicht," Vol. 

 II., p. 437) : "Inhabits the regions of the interior of 

 South America, which abound in rocks, particularly 

 the northern districts ; feeds upon soft fruits, prefer 



