THAMNOPHILUS NIGER, Such. 



Greyish-black Bush Shrike. 



PLATE XXI. 







T. corpore nigrescento-griseo, capite cristato, remigibus subbrunnescentibus, ob- 

 scure fasciatis. 



Thamnophilus niger, Dr. Stick, Zool. Journ. No. iv. p. 559- 



X his species was brought from South America a few years since by Dr 

 Such, and was first characterised by him in a late number of the Zoologi- 

 cal Journal. It belongs to that division of the genus which has the tail 

 long and considerably graduated, and the colours are probably the most 

 sombre and uniform in the whole group, wanting in a great part that va- 

 riegation of shades common to most of them. 



The total length is about eight inches : the head is furnished with a 

 crest composed of rather long dense black feathers, which, near the base 

 of the bill, are strong and bristly, bending forward partly over the nostrils. 

 The whole plumage is a dull greyish-black, lighter and slightly tinged with 

 a greater proportion of blue on the rump and under parts : the quills, se- 

 condary feathers, and tail, are nearly black ; the secondaries are barred ir- 

 regularly with umber-brown. The toes are long and slender, and with 

 the legs, are dark blackish-brown : the hind claws are long, slender, and 

 considerably curved. 



The specimen from which we took the drawing for this Plate, is in the 

 Museum of the Zoological Society of London. There is also good speci- 

 mens of this species in the collection of C. Edmonstone, Esq. of Cardross 

 Park, Dunbartonshire. 



