204 FORMICARIID.E. 



224. THAMNOPHILUS C^RULESCENS, Vieill. 

 (SLATY-BLUE BUSH-BIRD.) 



Thamnophilus caerulescens, Burm. La-Plata Reise, ii. p. 472 (Parana, 

 Mendoza, Tucuman) ; Scl. et Salv. Nomencl p. 70 ; White, P. Z. S. 1882, 

 p. 614 (Corrientes, Misiones) ; Barrows, Auk, 1884, p. 21 (Entrerios) ; Salvin, 

 Ibis, 1880, p. 361 (Salta). 



Description. Above grey, black on the crown, and a patch of white and black 

 feathers on the middle of the back ; wings black, the coverts thickly spotted and 

 the inner webs of the remiges edged with white ; tail black, all the feathers, 

 except the middle pair, tipped with white, the outer rectrix on each side has 

 also a long white spot in the middle part of the outer web ; beneath cinereous, 

 white on the belly ; bill and feet black : whole length 5' 6 inches, wing 2-7, tail 

 2-3 Female: above earthy olive- green, yellowish on the crown ; wing-coverts 

 and tail as in the male ; wing-feathers olive-brown ; beneath yellowish olive- 

 grey, brightening into ochraceous on the belly and flanks. 



Hob. Paraguay and Argentina. 



Mr. Barrows says concerning this species that it is " frequently seen, 

 especially during the winter " (on the Lower Uruguay) . A nest, taken 

 November 24th, <( was almost precisely like that of our Red-eyed 

 Vireo (V. olivaceus), being pensile in the fork of a horizontal spray, only 

 four feet from the ground. It contained three fresh eggs, white, with 

 spots and dashes of light brown/' 



White says that these birds frequent the banks of streams, and have 

 a deep bass call-note, rather mournful and slow. 



225. THAMNOPHILUS RUFIGAPILLUS, Vieill. 

 (RED-CAPPED BUSH-BIRD.) 



Thamnophilus argentinus, Burm. La-Plata Reise, ii. p. 472 (Parana, 

 Tucuman) ; Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 70 ; Durnford, Ibis, 1877, p. J83 (Bueuoa 

 Ayres) ; Barrows, Auk, 1884, p. 21 (Entrerics). Thamnophilus rufi- 

 capillus, Pelz. Orn. Bras. p. 79 ; Berl et JJier. Zeitschr. yes. O. 1885, p. 49. 



Description. Above olivaceous brown, tinged with rufous, brighter on the 

 crown ; lores yellowish white, superciliaries and sides of head whitish grey : 

 wing-feathers dark olive- brown, the inner webs edged with ochraceous; tail 

 black, all the rectrices, except the middle pair, slightly tipped and broadly 

 spotted on the inner webs with white; beneath greyish white, the feathers 

 from the lower throat to the belly transversely barred with black ; bill and feet 

 black : whole length 6-2 inches, wing 2-7, tail 2-6. Female : above the same as 

 the male, except the tail, which is rufous brown ; beneath whitish, tinged 

 with ochraceous, and with scarcely perceptible greyish mottlings. 



Hab. Paraguay and Argentina. 



