T^NIOPTERA PYROPE 63 



Pepoaza pyrope, B'OrMgny, Voy. Amer. Merid., Ois., p. 348,1835. 

 XolmiS pyrope, Gould and Darwin, Voy. ^^ Beagle,'' Birds, p. 55, 



1841. 

 Tsenioptera pyrope, Sclater, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., xiv, p. 15, 1888 ; 



Oustalet, Miss. Sci. Gap Horn, Ois., p. 52, 1891, 



Habitat. — Ctili, Patagonia, and Tierra del Fuego. 



? , Rio McClelland Settlement, 28tli Nov. ; (^, 8th Dec, 1904. 

 Iris — red ; bill and legs — black. 



The measurements recorded by Dr. Sclater for the Grey 

 Tyrant are : — 



Length 7'2, wing 4-0, tail 3'2 inches, 

 for both sexes, which are generally in agreement with the series 

 of twenty-five in the British Museum, including the " Challenger" 

 specimen from the Strait of Magellan, and Lord Byron's and 

 Berkeley James's specimens from Chili. 



The Tierra del Fuego birds, however, are considerably larger, 

 for they measure : — 



S length 8'5, wing 4*8, tail 3*9 inches. 

 ? length 7-7, wing 4*2, tail, 3-4 „ 



The male has the two outer primaries very finely acuminated 

 for over 0*5 inch. 



This bird is fairly common on the outskirts of forest to 

 the south of Useless Bay, and seems particularly partial to 

 barberry thorn thickets. It has a musical note, and is very 

 tame. Invariably I have found it in pairs. In appearance, 

 fliofht, and habit, it reminded me much of the Black-and- 

 White Shrike of Central Africa. What Darwin observes, of its 

 " generally taking its station on the branch of a tree, on the 

 outskirts of the forest," and " when thus perched, usually at some 

 height above the ground, sharply looks out for insects passing by, 

 which it takes on the wing," exactly describes its habit. 



The stomachs of my specimens contained coleoptera — 

 chiefly Rhyncophora. 



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