EINAR LONNBERG 



This bird is common enough in the forest, especially among brush wood 

 near the tree-Umit, but no nest was discovered. Like previous observers, Mr, 

 Backstrom remarks on its resemblance to titmice in its general behaviour. 



Aphrastura (Oxyurus) masafuerae Philippi 

 Masafuera: i J* ^^h I9i7- 



According to Mr. BackstrOm, this bird is scarce and difficult to obtain. 

 Probably it is almost confined to the higher parts of the island, where Dick- 

 sonia is common in the forest. Two specimens were seen in a fern grove 

 above Varadero, two more in Quebrada de las Chozas. 



Cinclodes oustaleti baeckstroemii n. subsp. 

 Native name: Chureta. 



Masafuera: i c? ^V2, i cj^ i ? ^Va, i ? 'V2, i ? 'V2, i c^^Va, i cT % 1917. 

 Masatierra: ic^^Va 1914. 



In the literature, the Cine/odes of Masafuera is generally recorded as C. 

 fuscus Vieill. There is, however, a very perceptible difference between the ty- 

 pical C. fuscus from Argentina and the bird from Masafuera, with regard to 

 size as well as to colour, the former being very much larger and lighter. Then, 

 the question arises whether the island bird is identical with any of the Cin- 

 clodes which have been named and described from Chile. C. nigrifumosus may 

 at once be excluded, because it is too large (wing 113 mm), »brownish black» 

 beneath and has »the outer rectrices tipped with cinereous* (Cat. Birds B. M. 

 Vol. XV, p. 22). C. patagonicus Gm. appears to have a greater length of 

 wing, 95 mm. (ace. to ScOTT, Bull. B. O. C. Vol. X, p. 62, still larger or 4. i 

 in. = 103 mm.) than the present specimens, and »the external tail-feathers with 

 hght ashy tips» (Cat. Birds 1. c). In 1900, W. E. D. Scott, 1. c, described 

 C. molitor from Chile, which bird Hellmayr (Nov. Zool. Tring, Vol. 21, p. 

 175, 1914) proved to be identical with Opetiorhynchus rupestris Kittlitz and 

 thus named C. patagonicus rupestris Kittl. This bird is also considerably larger 

 than the one from Masafuera, with the length of wing 99—102 mm. 



There remains then for comparison only the smaller C. oustaleti Scott, 

 1. c. The diagnose by the original author is very short, but fortunately Hell- 

 mayr (1. c.) has examined the type and added a little to the description. Be- 

 fore a comparison is made with C. oustaleti Scott it seems convenient to give 

 a description of the bird from Juan Fernandez, which fortunately is available 

 in a good series. 



Upper parts of head very dark grey with a touch of leaden colour, dar- 

 ker than, and perceptibly different from the colour of the back, although gra- 

 dually blending into the same on the upper neck. Back, rump and upper tail 

 coverts more brownish than head, similar to sepia 300, 2 of Oberthur and 



