TYRANNUS CALCARATUS, Swainson. 

 Spiny-footed Tyrant. 



PLATE XXXVII. 



T. olivacea-fuscus, abdomine fulvescente ; genibus spinuliferis. 



Tyrannus calcaratus, Swains. Brand's Journ. No. xi. p. 271- 



JL his curimis species is first noticed by Mr Swainson, who met with it 

 during his residence in Brazil : he mentions it as of rare occurrence. We 

 fortunately met with seven specimens of it in a lot of skins which were 

 brought to us for sale. The whole of these agree perfectly with each 

 other, except that some specimens had the spines on the back of the tar- 

 sus much longer and stronger than in others, a distinction probably arising 

 from the ages of the individuals. All our specimens were slightly shorter 

 than that described by Mr Swainson, none of them exceeding seven inches 

 and a half in length. The bill is brownish-black, and rather strong in pro- 

 portion to the size of the bird. The whole of the plumage is a dull olive- 

 grey, tinged on the lower parts with pale dirty yellow. In one or two 

 specimens, the back and wings were mixed with reddish-brown, probably 

 indicating the shades peculiar to the younger birds. The legs and feet 

 are slender, the scales on the back of the tarsus are elongated, and oppo- 

 site the joint form five or six sharp spiny processes. These apparently 

 increase in length and sharpness with the age of the individual. In one 

 or two specimens evidently the same, but, to judge from the redder tinge 

 on the plumage, younger birds, the spines were hardly perceptible. 



