CHELIDOPTERA BEASILIENSIS. 



THE LAEQER SWALLOW-WINa. 

 PLATE LV. Fm. 2. 



Bucco tenehrosus, Licht. Verz. d. Doubl. p. 8 (1823). 

 Capito tenehrosus. Max. Beitr. iv. p. 372 (1832). 

 Brachypetes tenehrosa. Swains. Class. B. ii. p. 334 (1837). 

 Lypornix tenehrosa, Swains. B. of Brazil, t. 36 (1841). 

 Monasa tenehrosa, Burm. Syst. Ueb. ii. p. 294 (1856). 

 Chelidoptera hrasiliensis, Scl. Cat. A. B. p. 275 (1862). 

 Chelidoptera hrasiliensis, Cab. et Heine, Mus. Hein. iv. p. 125 (1863). 

 Chelidoptera hrasiliensis, Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 106 (1873). 



Supra nigra; dorso postico albo; subtus dorso concolor, in ventre superiore cineraceus; ventre inferiore 

 ochracescenti-castaneo ; crisso et subalaribus albis; rostro nigro ; pedibus fuscescenti-nigiib : long, 

 tota 7'6, alee 4*5, caudse 2'3, rostri a rictu I'O. Fem. mari similis. 



Hab. in Brasilise meridionali-orientalis regione sylvaticd. 



Obs. Species C. tenebroscs similis, sed crassitie majore, pectore magis cineraceo, et ventre imo magis ochraceo 

 distinguenda. 



The Brazilian or Larger Swallow-wing remained undivided from the Amazonian form until 

 1862, when I separated it in my 'Catalogue of American Birds' under the title ^^hrasiliensis,'' 

 giving the principal distinctive characters in a footnote. These, as it will be seen, are not 

 very strong, and on the other side of the Atlantic, I suspect, would only serve to give it rank 

 under a trinomial appellation. It is obvious that the purely forest-haunting species of the 

 wood-region of South-eastern Brazil are cut off from mixing with their representatives in the 

 great Amazonian wood-region by the intervening Sertoes or treeless district, as effectually 

 almost as if surrounded by water. It is, therefore, only in accordance with natural laws that 

 they should acquire distinctive characters; and this we find to be the case in most instances. 

 Whether these characters are such as should be indicated by a binomial or trinomial appellation 

 is merely a question of amount. 



" This bird," says Prince Maximilian of Neuwied, in his excellent ' Beitrage zur Natur- 

 geschichte der Vogel Brasiliens,' " is not rare in most provinces of South Brazil, and very common 

 in many of them. It is found in certain spots sitting still and immovable upon the high 

 isolated branches of the forest-trees. From time to time it flies after an insect into the air, 

 and falls back again to its place like a true Muscicapa. ' 



" It is a stupid, still, melancholy bird, but likes to sit high, not low and near the ground, 

 like the other Tamatias. As in form and colour it rather resembles a Swallow, the Brazilians 



