252 ELEVEN WEEKS IN NORTH-EASTERN BRAZIL. 



specimens during my trip was 116. In the following list they are 

 treated of in systematic order, according to the nomenclature of Messrs. 

 Sclater and Salvin's ' Nomenclator Avium Neotropicalium,' unless other- 

 wise stated. I am much indebted to Mr. Sclater for having kindly gone 

 through and named the greater number of my birds for me, whilst Mr. 

 Salvin was good enough to give me the names of the few others. 



As far as can be judged from the results of a short trip like mine, the 

 avifauna of Pernambuco is essentially South-east Brazilian, with few, if 

 any, Amazonian forms. It would appear from my observations on the 

 birds, and from the general features of the country, that Pernambuco is 

 far less rich in birds than either Bahia or Para, the comparative poverty 

 no doubt being due to the long time that the country, at least near the 

 sea, has been colonized, and to the consequent destruction of the primaeval 

 forests. Moreover, as the forest only forms a comparatively narrow zone 

 along the coast, with a dry and elevated " campos " country behind, 

 there has been no possible retreat towards the interior for the original 

 inhabitants of the coast forests, and many of the most characteristic 

 forms have, in consequence, disappeared or become scarce. Of course, 

 my collections do not represent any thing like the total number of 

 species to be found in Pernambuco ; but I think the above conclusion 

 will be confirmed by further collections from that district. 



From what I heard of the nature of the country, Ceara, and most 

 likely Maranhao as well, must probably be included within the limits of 

 the South-east Brazilian fauna, so that the boundary between it and the 

 Amazonian province must lie still further north-west on the coast, whilst 

 in the interior it may correspond to the watershed between the Tocantins 

 and the Paranahyba. 



The following is an account of the birds of which I obtained or 

 observed specimens. The specimens are mostly deposited in Mr. Sclater's 

 collection. 



Ibis, 1881, ! TUEDUS FUMIGATUS. 



p. 327. j am no ^. q u it e certain as to the correctness of the above name, though 

 it is probably this species that occurs in this part of Brazil, as the only 

 specimen of this Thrush that I shot fell into a swollen stream and was 

 lost. Two I bought alive also escaped. 



The " Sabia," as it is called by the Brazilians, is very much esteemed 

 by them as game, and therefore relentlessly shot down ; hence it has 

 become a very shy bird, at least in the neighbourhood of towns. It has 

 a rather pleasant song, and is also on this account sought after by the 

 natives, who keep it as a cage-bird very commonly. I saw caged 

 specimens in nearly every place I visited from Parahyba to Garanhuns, 

 but only a few times observed it in its native state at Cabo and Recife, so 

 can say nothing further on its habits. 



