94 
ALECTURA, 
which is a no less remarkable type ; three species 
only are as yet known, and these are very singular 
little birds ; their size is not bigger than that of a 
robin, but their head is enormous from the quantity 
of feathers upon the crown, while the tail, as already 
remarked, is erect and compressed, yery much like 
that of the cock. The bill and feet are both large 
in proportion, and give us such a miniature resem- 
blance of those members in Gubernetes, that no 
doubt can exist on the close affinity of the two 
genera ; for although, if our views are correct, they 
do not stand in the same circle, yet, as they form 
a union between both, their separation is only no- 
minal. These ® little cocks,” as Azara calls them, 
seem in their habits to be true water-chats, fre- 
quenting the open and humid sides of savannahs, 
where they search upon the ground for insects ; oc- 
casionally, however, they exhibit a slight indication 
of the habits of the true flycatchers, by perching 
upon reeds or very low shrubs (never on trees), and 
catching insects as they fly near its station. It de- 
serves to be noticed, that Azara, a decided oppo- 
nent of technical systems, was yet too well versed 
in natural groups to confound these birds with the 
