PTEROPTOCHUS ALBICOLLTS. 207 



down from the top of a bush, but always ascend it by hopping from 

 twig to twig. 



The nest is made in the centre of a thorny bush two or three feet 

 from the ground ; and is round and domed, with a small aperture at 

 the side, and built entirely of fine dry grass. The eggs are four in 

 number and of a pure white. 



The Little Cock is nine inches long, has long stout legs, and short 

 curved beak. The colour of the head and neck is deep reddish brown, 

 lined with white, the feathers of the crown forming a crest. The upper 

 surface and wings olive-brown ; tail dark ; throat and breast grey ; 

 middle of the belly white, with a broad ruddy rufous patch on each side 

 reaching to the belly. 



228. RHINOCRYPTA PUSCA, Scl. et Salv. 

 (BROWN GALLITO.) 



Rhinocrypta fusca, Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. pp. 76,161. 



Description. Above uniform pale ciniiamomeous brown ; supcrciliaries 

 whitish ; tail blackish, except the middle pair of rectrices, which are the same 

 as the back ; beneath white, faintly tinged with cinnamomeous ; bill horn- 

 colour, feet black : whole length 6'5 inches, wing 2-5, tail 2-4. 



Hab. Mendoza. 



The original examples of this species were obtained by the German 

 collector, Weisshaupt, near Mendoza. It appears to have been mis- 

 taken for the young of the preceding species, but is decidedly different. 



229. PTEROPTOCHUS ALBICOLLIS, Kittl. 

 (WHITE-NECKED TAPACOLA.) 



Pteroptochus albicollis, Burm. La-Plata Iteise, ii. p. 471 (Mendoza) ; Scl. 

 et Salv. Nomencl . p. 76. 



Description. Above chestnut-brown, obscure or slightly olivaceous on the 

 neck and upper part of back ; inner webs of wing-feathers blackish ; lores, 

 superciliaries, and under surface white, the breast sparsely, and the belly and 

 flanks thickly marked with transverse spots of blackish brown ; lower flanks and 

 under tail-coverts chestnut-brown, obscurely spotted with black ; bill and feet 

 black : whole length 8-5 inches, wing 3-1, tail 2-9. Female similar. 



Hab. Chili and Western Argentina. 



Dr. Burmeister tells us that he met with this Chilian species in the 

 water-courses near Mendoza, where it was seen running about on the 

 stones like a Dipper. 



