490 PASSERIFORMES^PTEROPTOCHIDAE chap. 



opis. The head is large, the bill depressed in the first-named, 

 longer and more compressed in the last; the exaspidean meta- 

 tarsus (p. 473) is thick and long in the one, with broad curved hind- 

 claw, but is thinner, with straighter and weaker hallux, in the other. 

 The outer and middle toes are basally connected. The wings are' 

 moderate and rounded, as in the next Family ; the tail is very short 

 in Conopophaga, which has long, lax rump-feathers. The general 

 coloration is brown, with a white mark behind the eye in the last- 

 named genus ; the head may be black, or chestnut with black sides ; 

 the throat black ; the breast banded with chestnut, black or grey ; or 

 the central abdomen white. Gorythopis has black striations below. 



Fam. XII. Pteroptochidae. — This group ranges from Costa 

 Eica to Patagonia, occurring up to an altitude of nine or ten 

 thousand feet. The bill is comparatively long and thin in Scyta- 

 lopus and Merulaxis, stronger in Liosceles, Pteroptochus, Hylades, 

 and Rliinocrypta, being much arched in the last-named ; the 

 culmen expands into a peculiar oval plate in Acropternis and Trip- 

 torhinus ; while a membrane partially covers the nostrils. The 

 taxaspidean metatarsus (p. 471) is generally elongated and strong, 

 with long claws, the hallux being long and incurved in Hylactes, 

 and similar but straighter in Acropternis; the whole foot is shorter 

 in Shinocrypta, more slender in Pteroptochus, while the scutes are 

 fused in front in LioSceles. The short, rounded wings have ten 

 primaries and eight secondaries ; the tail varies in length, and 

 may be graduated, as in Merulaxis and Acroptei-nis, or short and 

 more even, as in Triptorhinus. Hylactes has fourteen rectrices 

 in place of twelve. The colour is blackish, dark grey, or brown, 

 often barred or scalloped with black ; the crown, rump, breast, or 

 belly are at times chestnut or rufous, the lower parts varied with 

 white, or even banded with orange. Merulaxis has long, stiff 

 loral plumes, Rliinocrypta lanceolata a crest, and several forms 

 elongated rump-feathers. In Acropternis the back and abdomen 

 are ocellated with white. The sexes are nearly similar. 



These peculiar birds are commonly shy and retiring, hopping 

 actively about with erect tails, or running like mice, but rarely fly- 

 ing, except between the boughs and the ground. They are decidedly 

 difficult of observation, though they follow up the pedestrian under 

 cover, betraying their position by their scolding cries. Many 

 species, such as Hylactes tarnii, the " Guid-guid," Pteroptochus 

 rubecula, the " Cheu-can," and Triptorhinus ^paradoxus, the " Cheu- 



