354 BIRDS OF BRITISH GUIANA. 



with pale inner edges to the last, some of the upper wing-coverts 

 and innermost secondaries marked with blackish towards the base, 

 which sometimes assume the form of bars ; tail-feathers blackish, 

 irregularly marked with white on the ajiical portion ; a supraloral 

 streak which extends over the eye and along the sides of the 

 crown white like the chin, throat, breast, abdomen, under tail- 

 coverts, axillaries, and under wing-coverts, the long under 

 tail-coverts having black shaft-lines ; under surface of flight- 

 quills brown with paler inner edges ; lower aspect of tail blackish, 

 rather extensively marked with white on the apical portion. 



Total length 215 mm., exposed culmen 24, wing 85, tail 78, 

 tarsus 28. 



The specimen from which the description is taken was collected 

 on the Takutu River in 1907. 



Breeding-season. Unknown in British Guiana. 



Nest. The nest is built among bushes or in small trees on the 

 Savannas (Schomburgk) . 



Eggs. Undescribed from British Guiana. 



Range in British Guiana. Takutu River and Upper Takutu 

 Mountains (McConnell collection.') 



Extralimital Range. Venezuela, North Brazil. 



Habits. In regard to this species Schomburgk writes (Reis. 

 Guian. iii. p. 674):— This shy bird is an inhabitant of the Savannas 

 only, where it roams about in pairs, settling on the low Curatella- 

 trees and the solitary growing bushes. It is a most agile bird and 

 always on the move. It was a long time before I could secure 

 a specimen, for as soon as it sees a suspicious looking object, it 

 immediately utters a grating noise. The nest is built among 

 bushes or in small trees on the Savannas. Its food consists 

 chiefly fil insects. 



Genus THRYOPHILUS Baird. 



Thrvophilm Baird, Eeview Amer. B. p. 127, 1864. Type T. rufalhns 

 (Lafr.). 



Fig. 137. — To illustrate the formation of the head and bill. 

 The species included in this genus are medium-sized Wrens. 



