138 TYRANNID^E. 



tall weeds, or bushes, and is consequently most abundant about houses. 

 It is extremely active, and occasionally darts after a passing insect 

 and captures it on the wing, especially soft insects, like moths and 

 butterflies, to which it is most partial. It subsists principally, how- 

 ever, on small caterpillars arid spiders, for which it searches diligently 

 among the leaves, after the manner of the Wren. Although belonging 

 to the songless division of the Passeres, this small Tyrant-bird possesses 

 a formal song, which the male utters with great frequency, the only 

 other member of the Tyrant-family that I am acquainted with which 

 really sings being the Scarlet Tyrant (Pyrocephalus rubescens). The 

 music of the Reed- Tyrant is weak but curious ; it is composed of 

 five brief percussive notes, distinctly metallic in sound, which may be 

 imitated by gently and slowly striking fa la mi sol fa on the highest 

 keys of the piano. To utter this quaint little song the bird perches 

 itself on the summit of a weed or bush, where it solicits attention with 

 a little chipping prelude, and then jerks its head vigorously with each 

 note, delivering its few drops of sound with all the assurance of a 

 master in the art of melody. 



In October it builds a deep elaborate nest of fine dry grass, thistle- 

 down, webs, feathers, and other soft materials, usually in the fork of a 

 weed or thistle three or four feet from the ground. It lays four 

 cream-coloured eggs, the colour deepening to grey at the larger end. 



142. HABRURA PECTORALIS (Vieill.). 

 (THIN-TAILED TYRANT.) 



Pachyrhamphus minimus, Gould, Zool. Voy. Beagle, iii. p. 51, pi. xv. (Moute 

 Video). Habrura minima, Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 46; Cab. Journ. /. 

 Orn. 1878, p. 197 (Cordova) ; Sd. P. Z. S. 1879, p. 460 (Cordova). 



Description. Above sandy brown, with a dark-greyish tinge on the head, 

 which is subcrested and has the vertical feathers white at their bases ; lores 

 and eye-region whitish; wings and tail blackish, edged with sandy brown, 

 which forms in some specimens well-marked wing-bands ; beneath pale sandy 

 ochraceous, more rufous on the flanks ; throat more or less freckled with 

 black ; bill and feet dark brown : whole length 4-0 inches, wing 1-9, tail 1-7. 

 Female similar, but without the black markings on the throat. 



Hab. Northern La Plata, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil, and British 

 Guiana. 



Examples of this species were obtained by Dr. Doring near 

 Cordova. 



