T^NIOPTERA MURINA. 119 



the primaries and the tip of the tail, which are black. In habits it is 

 more sedentary than other Tcenioptera, and obtains its food chiefly by 

 patiently watching the surface of the ground for its insect prey. Its 

 marvellously white plumage, and the habit of sitting motionless 

 on the summit of a bush or tree, make it a most conspicuous object, 

 so that it is strange to find such a bird existing in districts which 

 abound in raptorial species; for Hawks, I have frequently noticed, 

 will always single out a white or conspicuously coloured bird for 

 pursuit, and though the Little Widow, like the other members of its 

 genus, is swift and strong of wing, the feeble and the young must often 

 fall victims to their shining white plumage. 



The Little Widow is a solitary bird, and not nearly so lively and 

 playful in manner as T. coronata and T. dominicana, its surpassing 

 whiteness being its most interesting feature. Its nesting-habits are 

 unlike those of other TaeniopteriK, for it breeds only in holes, usually in 

 the bole or branch of a tree ; but sometimes it takes possession of the 

 oven of Furnarius rufus to lay in. The nest is composed chiefly of 

 feathers and contains four eggs, creamy white, with a few very minute 

 red spots, irregularly distributed. Mr. Dalgleish says, " Some eggs 

 have only two or three spots, none have more than eight or ten." 



Mr. Barrows says: "The adults have several of the primaries 

 remarkably attenuated. Young birds appear to acquire these attenuate 

 primaries only after a complete moult. But I took one specimen 

 which showed one or more primaries with tips of ordinary shape but 

 with a line apparently worn into the vane of the inner web, so as to 

 mark out distinctly the attenuate tip, and it seemed as if a little more 

 wearing would cut out a piece which would leave the primary as in 

 the old bird." 



116. TJENIOPTERA MURINA (d'Orb. et Lafr.). 

 (MOUSE-BROWN TYRANT.) 



Tsenioptera murina, Hudson, P. Z. S. 1872, p. 541 (Rio Negro) ; Scl. et Salv. 

 Nomencl p. 42; White, P. Z. S. 1883, p. 38 (Cordova). Pyrope murina, 

 Cab. Journ. f. Orn. 1878, p. 196 (Cordova). 



Description. Above sandy cinereous, whitish round the eyes; wings and 

 tail blackish with whitish edgings ; below much paler, throat whitish with slight 

 black striations ; belly and crissum tinged with ochraceous ; under wing- 

 coverts and flanks pale ochraceous ; bill horn-colour ; feet black ; two outer 

 primaries acuminated : whole length 7*0 inches, wing 4-0, tail 2-9. Female 

 similar, but outer primaries normal. 



Ilab. \Yestern Argentina and North Patagonia. 



