Plate XXIX. 



HTLACTE8 CA8TANETIS. 



(CHESimiT HYLACTES). 



FteroptocTius castaneus . . Phil, et Landb. "Wiegm. Arcli. 1865, p. 56 ; ib. 1866, p. 121. 

 Sylactes castaneus . ' . , Sclater, P.Z.S. 1867, p. 325. 



Supra oliyaceo-cinerascens, alis extus rufescenti-olivaceis, tectricum majorum et secundariormn apicibus pallidis ; 

 uropygii plumis elcmgatis, castaneo tinctis, fascia subapicali nigra, ocbraceo terminatis : cauda nigra : fronte, super- 

 ciliis et corpora subtus ad medium pectus castaneis : oeulorum ambitu sordide albo : abdomine medio cinereo, castaneo 

 variegato : crisso nigro et castaneo transfasciato : rostro et pedibus nigris : long, tota 9'0, alse 4"2, caudee 2'6, tarsi 

 1'9, digiti postici cum ungue 1'6, rostri a rictu (lin. dir.) I'O. 



Hab. in Eep. Chiliana. 



Messrs. Philippi and Lanclbeck, tlie Director and Sub-director of the Museum of Santiago 

 in Cliili ; have, during the last few years, contributed a series of valuable papers on the Natural 

 History of their adopted country to " Wiegmann's Archiv," in the course of which they have 

 made many valuable additions to our knowledge of the Chilian Fauna. Amongst these, there 

 is none of gi-eater interest than the fine species now portrayed ; forming, as it does, an additional 

 -member of a limited but very characteristic group of Chilian birds. 



The Pteroptochus castaneus^ as its describers have called this new species, from the prevailing 

 chestnut colouring of its plumage, is most nearly allied to the Hylactes tarnii of Kmg, and 

 belongs strictly to the same small group, which is easily distinguishable fi-om typical Pteroptochus^ 

 by the very strong feet, the remarkable size of the hind-claw, and the possession of fourteen 

 tail-feathers. 



It was first met with by Messrs. Philippi and Landbeck, in December, 1860, in the Hacienda 

 de la Puerta, in the Province of Colchagua, at an elevation of about of 5000 feet above the 

 sea-level. Here it was observed in small companies, frequenting the deep ravines traversed by 

 the streams which descend from the neighbouring snow-fields. Its call is stated to have a great 

 resemblance to that of 11. tarni^ reminding one of the distant bark of a small dog. Subsequently, 

 additional specimens were obtained by the same Naturalists, in a more northern part of the 

 Province of Colchagua, in the month of November. Two of these were full grown young, so 

 that this bird may be supposed to breed early in the Antarctic Summer. Its favomite resort 

 here appeared to be the bottoms of the deepest and dampest ravines, which are densely 

 clothed with a coarse grass called " quila," and thickets formed by a kind of beech. Similar 



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