98 
BLECHROPUS, 
viewing them for the present as distinct from Flu- 
ticolina. Of these we know four or five species, 
and although they do not exhibit very decided pe- 
culiarities as to structure, still it seems desirable to 
keep them distinct ; they differ from Fluvicola and 
agree with Alectura in their large heads ; their plu- 
mage is more or less deep black, with a concealed 
spot of white on the inner web of the quills, which 
only becomes suddenly conspicuous when the wing 
is expanded ; the feet being smaller, and the toes 
rather shorter than in Fluvicola , would seem to in- 
dicate even more of the perching habits than are 
possessed by Alectura , while their singularity of 
plumage leads us to believe they must have also 
some peculiarity of manners. One of these w T e shall 
now figure. 
