Order TI. PASSERES. 
Tribe HE Dentirostres, 
Family 111. Muscic apid^e. 
The second Subfamily, 
ALECTRURINiE, or Alectrures, 
have the Bill of various lengths, broad at the base, and rather depressed, with the culmen sloping and 
rounded ; the sides gradually compressed to the tip, which is emarginated ; the gonys long and slightly 
ascending; the Nostrils basal, rounded, and exposed : the Wings more or less long: the Tail of various 
lengths and forms : the Tarsi more or less long, and slender : the Toes usually moderate, and armed 
with long, acute, curved claws. 
Taenioptera Pr. Bonap .* 
Bill rather short, slightly depressed, and broad at the base, with the culmen straight towards the 
tip, which is suddenly curved and emarginated ; the sides compressed, and the gape furnished with short 
weak bristles ; the gonys long and slightly ascending ; the nostrils lateral, and placed in a short mem- 
branous groove, with the opening rounded and exposed. Wings long and pointed ; with the first two 
quills sometimes as long as the third, which is usually the longest. Tail long, broad, and nearly even. 
Tarsi rather longer than the middle toe, strong, and covered with broad transverse scales. Toes 
moderate ; the outer toe rather longer than the inner, and united at the base ; the hind toe long ; the 
claws long, compressed, and very acute. 
The species that compose this genus are peculiar to South America, where they are usually observed perched 
silently on the tops of small bushes, tall plants, or on the low branches of trees, from whence they watch the approach 
of an insect, after which they dart, and having captured it, return to another place. They are sometimes observed 
hunting the ground for the same kind of food, especially for Coleoptera, as well as for small seeds. The nest is 
coarsely put together in the midst of a bush. 
1. T. nengeta (Linn.) Edwards’s Birds, pi. 318. ? — Tyrannus 
Pepoaza Vieill. Azara, No. 201. ; Muscicapa polyglotta Spix, Av. 
Bras. t. 24., Swains. Nat. Libr. x. Flyc. pi. 8 . ; M. tsenioptera Pr. 
Bonap. ; Tyrannus cinereus Vieill. 
2. T. coronata (Vieill.) Encyc. Meth. p. 855., Azara, No. 202. 
— Museicapa vittigera Licht. 
3. T. dominicana (Vieill.) Ency. Meth. p. 856., Azara, No. 203. 
• Fluvicola Azara; Gould, Voy. of Beagle, Birds, p. 53. pi. x. 
4. T. irupero (Vieill.) Ency. Meth. p. 856., Azara, No. 204. — 
Muscicapa mcesta Licht. 
5. T. nivea (Spix), Av. Bras. t. 29. f. 1. 
6. T. variegata (D’Orb. & Lafr.) Syn. Av. p. ., Voy. dans 
l’Ame'r. Me'r. Ois. t. 39- f- 2., Voy. of Beagle, Birds, pi. xi. 
7. T. pyrope (Kittl.) Vog. von Chili, t. 10. 
8. T. velata (Licht.) Cat. Dupl. Berl. Mus. p. 54., Spix, Av. 
Bras. t. 22. 
9. T. murina (D’Orb. & Lafr.) Syn. Av. p. 63. 
10. T. ? atricapilla (Vieill.) Encyc. Mc'fli, p. 856., Azara, No. 
206 . 
* The Prince of Canino established this genus in 1825. Xolmis (1826) of M. Boie, Nengetus (1827) of Mr, Swainson, Orsipus (1835) 
a "d Blechropus (1837) of Mr. Swainson are synonymous with the name employed. 
