92 
SCISSAR-TAIL, OR SWALLOW BLACK-CAP, 
Gvbemetes forficatus, Swains. 
PLATE Y. 
Cinereous ; wings and tail brown ; cbin and throat white, 
bordered by a chestnut collar j primary quills fulvous-yel- 
low at their base. 
L’Yiperu, Amro, ed Sonnini, iii. p. 196 Gubemetes Cun- 
ninghamii, Vigors, Zool. Journal, ii. PI. 4, (fig. mod.) 
Azara was the first to record this remarkable bird, 
but, by a singular infelicity of arrangement, he has 
placed it among the Tcterince, or hang-nests, with 
which it has obviously no connexion. This is the 
more unaccountable, as the account he gives of its 
manners are perfectly in unison with those of his 
Pepoazas, or water-chats, in which we include this 
and the last genus. Like these birds, it frequents, 
in small troops, the neighbourhood of swamps and 
rivers, sometimes perched upon the reeds and rushes, 
but more generally frequenting the ground in search 
of worms and other insects. During its flight it has 
the habit of expanding and opening its very long and 
forked tail, upon which account the natives of Para- 
