COCK-TAILED WATER-CHAT. 97 
the woods. Its food, in fact, appears to he semi- 
aquatic insects, which it chiefly pursues on the 
ground, although it sometimes perches upon the 
reeds and aquatic shrubs, and darts upon insects 
as they pass within reach. The males are solitary, 
hut it is not uncommon to find from two to six 
females together, living, as it would seem, in little 
troops. The males often take a flight almost ver- 
tical, and then, before they alight, turning them- 
selves over something like a tumbler-pigeon. 
The male has the upper plumage, for the most 
part, black, the feathers being edged with grey. 
Across the breast is a black collar, springing from 
behind the ears, and almost obliterated in front ; 
the shoulder-covers, and the edges of the quills, to- 
gether with some spots on the front, are all white ; 
the edges of the wing-covers, and the lower part of 
the back, are cinereous ; the ears, stripe above the 
eye, lores, and all the under plumage, is pure white. 
The singular form of the tail is best understood by 
the figure. Its colour is deep black, excepting the 
grey tips of the lateral feathers. The female I have 
not yet seen. This species is found both in Para- 
guay and in Southern Brazil. 
Total length, 5^ inches ; bill, gape, ; front, 
; wings, 2f ; tail, from the base, 2 ’- ; tarsus, f. 
The passage from Alecturus to the common tailed 
water-chats is not yet rendered unquestionable by 
a series of intervening forms ; but there are some 
with long wings and short triangular bills, to which 
we shall retain the name of 
G 
