SCTTALOPUS.— ZELEDONIA. 247 



Lafresnaye from a specimen supposed to have come from Paraguay or Chili, but which 

 is now recognized as a bird of Colombia and Ecuador. From S. analis the Costa 

 Eican bird differs in being smaller, in having a less robust bill and more slender feet. 

 In colour the two birds are very much alike, but the legs appear to be darker. 



A specimen in the British Museum from Bogota has a whitish patch on the centre 

 of the crown, but it is not so silvery grey as in S. argentifrons, nor does it extend so 

 near to the base of the culmen. 



Regarding this silvery patch on the crown of certain species of Scytalopus some 

 difference of opinion prevails. In S. magellanicus, as understood by Mr. Sclater, this 

 feature is only shown in some individuals from Chili and Patagonia, others being 

 destitute of this mark, in which respect they agree with more northern birds, which 

 do not appear to possess it. Chilian birds with the silvery mark were described by 

 Landbeck as Pteroftoclius albifrons. The specific limits of several of the species are 

 not well defined, and as yet sufficient materials have not been collected to justify a 

 decided opinion on several points connected with the genus. 



Of the breeding-habits of Scytalopus magellanicus the following note of Salmon's is 

 of interest. He says (P. Z. S. 1879, p. 528) :— ^ 



" The nest is placed in a mass of moss on a bank ; it is also composed entirely of 

 moss. The female lays two eggs, large for the size of the bird, and white. I 

 was first attracted to this bird by a harsh cry continually repeated near me, and imme- 

 diately looked round to discover what animal it could be, expecting something of 

 considerable size, but, after carefully searching, saw what appeared a small black 

 mouse creeping along the ground. Upon killing it I found it to be a specimen of 

 this bird." 



Darwin also (Voy. ' Beagle,' iii. p. 74) speaks of the peculiar cries and skulking 

 habits of the same species in Tierra del Fuego. He adds that it carries its tail erect, 

 as do most other species of Pteroptochidse. 



Genus et Species insertce sedis. 



ZELEDONIA. 



Zeledonia, Ridgway, Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. xi. p. 537 (1888). 



Mr. Eidgway has kindly lent us the type of this genus from the treasures of the 

 United States National Museum. It is a very peculiar bird, and its position in the 

 system cannot satisfactorily be decided from an examination of the skin alone. 



