SCISSAR-TAIL, OR SWALLOW BLACK-CAP. 93 



guay have given it the name of Yetapa, or the Scis- 

 sar-tail. When perched, it has the distinguishing 

 habit of the flycatchers, of darting upon such insects 

 as pass within its range of wing, without, as it would 

 seem, pursuing them. It is common in Paraguay, 

 and not unfrequent in Southern Brazil. 



The general colour of the upper plumage, except- 

 ing the wings and tail, is light cinereous, tinged 

 with grey ; this latter tint is chiefly caused by the 

 shaft of each feather being brown. The under plu- 

 mage, from the bottom of the neck downwards, is of 

 the same colour as the back, but towards the belly 

 and vent it gradually changes to a dull white, From 

 the chin to the bottom of the neck, which is very 

 short, the feathers are pure white, this part being 

 confined by a crescent of the deepest chestnut, which 

 commences on the ears and crosses the upper part 

 of the breast. Above the eye is a whitish stripe, 

 but the lores are grey ; the inner wing-covers, and 

 the margins of the wings, are white; the wing- 

 covers, scapulars, spurious wings, and most of the 

 lesser quills, are dark sepia-brown ; but the prima- 

 ries, excepting the two outermost, are of an orange- 

 buff colour, tipt only with brown ; the tail is brown 

 towards the base, but black beyond. 



Total length, 15 inches ; bill, gape, 1 ; front, T 8 5 ; 

 wings, 4}%; tail beyond, 8; base, 10; tarsus, 1. 



From Gubernetes we are immediately led into the 

 circle of the Fluvkolince by 



