RHAMPIIOC^NUS. 43 



Genus RHAMPHOC^NUS Vieill. 



Bliampliocoenus Yieill. N. Diet, d.Hist. Nat. xxix. p. 5, 1819. Ty|)e 

 M. melanurus Yieill. 



Fi;:^. 21. — Bhamplioccenus melannrus. 



This genus, which is unlike any of its congeners, may be easily 

 distinguished by its long bill, short wings, and long tail. The bill 

 is Jong and slender and slightly hooked at the tip of the upper 

 mandible, and the exposed culmen is almost equal to the tarsus in 

 length. The wing is rounded, the fourth, fifth, and sixth primary- 

 quills longest, the third about equal in length to the seventh. The 

 tail, which exceeds the length of the wing, is almost square at the 

 tip, the outer feather on each side being shorter than the rest. 

 Coloration : male and female similar. 



376. Rlianiplioceenus albiventris. 



White-bellied Ant-Wren. 



Mhamplioccenus albiventris Sclater, Ibis, 1893, p. 95 (Surinam) ; Salvin, 

 Ibis, 1SS5, p. 426 (Bartica Grove, Camacusa) ; Sclater, Cat. E. 

 Brit. Mus. XV. p. 261, 1890 (Quonga) ; Brabourne & Chubb, B. S. 

 Araer. i. p. 204, no. 2015, 1912. 



Adult male. Head, back, wings, and tail rufous-brown ; inner 

 webs of primary and secondary quills darker brown ; tail l)Ia(k 

 fringed with russet-brown which increases in extent on the two 

 outermost feathers on each side ; there is a slight indication of a 

 su})erciliary streak from the lores over and behind the eye ; 

 cheeks, throat, i^reast, and sides of the body silvery-grey, the 

 middle of the abdomen inclining to silky-vvhitc like the under 

 win<T-coverts. 



Total length 117 mm., exposed culmen 22, wing 47, tail 4.'?, 

 tarsus 20. 



The bird from which the desc'rii)tion is taken was collected on 

 tlic Ituribisi River in 1901). 



Adult female. Similar to the adult male. Wing 42 mm. 



Breeding-season. Unknown in British (jitiiaiia. 



