Paraguay^ Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 



121 



95. Pyrocephalus rubineus. 



Pyrocephalus rubineus Scl. Cat. B. xiv. p. 211 ; Arg. Orn. 



p. 152. 



Los Ynglases, Ajo. 



Sept. 26, 1908. 

 Oct. 31, 1908. 

 Nov. 9-12, 1908. 

 Dec. 24, 1908. 

 Feb. 1-3, 1909. 

 Mar. 12-23,1909. 

 April 19, 1909. 

 Dec. 27, 1909. 

 Jan. 17, 1910. 



a. S a^d. 



b. ? ad. 



c. d, e. cJ ? ad. 

 /. ? ad. 



g, h, ij. S ? ad. et yg 

 k, I. <? young. 

 m. S young. 

 n,o. S '^ yg- & ad. 

 p. S ad. 

 Irides hazel ; bill, legs, and toes black. 



One of the adult females has several coloured feathers on 

 the head, another has one on the chest : four other females 

 are tinged with colour on the under tail-coverts, and all are 

 rather worn. 



The males appear to have a double moult, one in February 

 and March (the autumn moult) and another in August. 



The specimens taken in February, March, and April appear 

 at first sight to be young birds assuming the adult plumage, 

 but I am by no means sure of this ; and it strikes me that they 

 are either adults assuming an off-season particoloured dress 

 or are young birds changing from an intermediate to the 

 adult stage. What appears certain is that they are not 

 young in the first dress changing to the full adult plumage, 

 as the ashy feathers of the crown are too dark and without 

 edgings, and the streaked feathers of the under parts are 

 similar to those of the adult female. 



The adult male taken on the 3rd of February is moulting, 

 and ashy feathers are appearing on the breast, while many 

 of the new feathers on the moulting March and April birds 

 are particoloured, i. e. partly grey and partly red. 



But there are some specimens in the British Museum taken 

 in April and May in full red dress that do not bear this out. 

 So that the second conclusion is perhaps the nearer one, 

 that is, that the young do not assume the adult dress in one 

 moult, and have a particoloured stage lasting probably over 



