T^ENIOPTERA DOMINICANA. 117 



clump of grass, and lays four white eggs, with large dark red spots, 

 chiefly at the big end. 



I cannot refrain from quoting a passage from Mr. Barrows's paper, 

 descriptive of the lively temper and habits of this bird : 



"This species frequently persecutes smaller birds in a way which 

 seems to imply pure love of mischief. One afternoon in July, when 

 the river had fallen some feet after an unusual rise, I was walking along 

 the lines of drift left by the falling water, and watching the different 

 birds which were picking up insects or other food from the wind-rows. 

 A score or two of the little chestnut-backed Centrites were running 

 about, and here and there a Taenioptera was looking quietly on. 

 Suddenly I heard a chirp of distress, and looking up saw one of these 

 small birds apparently making every effort to escape from a Tcenioptera, 

 which was following in full chase. The two birds were hardly a length 

 apart and both going at full speed, doubling and dodging in a way that 

 would have done credit to a bat. The chase lasted perhaps for half a 

 minute, when the smaller bird alighted, and at once the other also alighted 

 and began running about unconcernedly and picking up food. But the 

 instant the smaller one made a start his enemy was at his heels (or 

 more properly his tail) again, and he was forced to alight. This was 

 repeated so often that I was on the point of shooting the pursuer, when, 

 without any notice, he flew quietly off, and resumed his usual 

 demeanour. It looked like a case of simple spite, for even if there 

 were twenty other birds about, one seemed to be followed without 

 regard to the rest." 



I have often watched Tanioptera of different species, also Myio- 

 theretes rufiventris, behaving in a similar way, and agree with Mr. 

 Barrows that it is "an amusement in which the larger bird indulges 

 simply for the pleasure derived from the exercise of his power/' 



114. T^NIOPTEEA DOMINICANA (Vieill.). 

 (DOMINICAN TYRANT.) 



Taenioptera dominicana, Svrm. La-Plata Reise, ii. p. 460 (Entrerios) j Scl 

 et Salv. NomencL p. 42; Durnford, Ibis, 1877, p. 176 (Buenos Ayres); 

 White, P. Z. S. 1883, p. 38 (Buenos Ayres) ; Doring, Exp. al Rio Negro, 

 ZooL p. 42 (Azul, Currumalan) ; Barrows, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Cl. vol. viii. 

 p. 139 (Entrerios, Pigue", Pampas). 



Description. Above pure white ; wings black, with a broad whitish sub- 

 apical band across the first six primaries, beyond which the tips are blackish ; 

 tail black ; beneath pure white : whole length 8-0 inches, wing 4-6, tail 4'2, 

 Ftmale similar, but head above and back cinereous. 



