192 Mr. P. L. Sclater on the Neotropical 
a!", ungue postico brevi 
j rostro brevi . 4. Pteroptochus. 
(rostro elongato. 5. Phinocrypta. 
b"’. ungue postico longo curvo. 6. Hylactes. 
b. mesorbinio in scutum ovale expanso. 
c\ ungue postico longo, recto, acuto. 7. Acropternis. 
d\ ungue postico modico, curvo . 8. Triptorhinus. 
Genus 1. Scytalopus. 
Scytalopus , Gould, P. Z. S. 1836, p. 89: type S.fuscus, 
Gould = S. magellanicm. 
Sylviaxis , Lesson, Bev. Zool. 1840, p. 274: type S . magel- 
lanicus. 
Agatkopus , Sclater, P. Z. S. 1858, p. 69: type A. micro - 
pterus, Scl. =$. analis. 
The genus Scytalopus embraces a series of small Wren-like 
birds, thinly distributed over South America from Patagonia 
to Columbia, but in the north keeping to the temperate regions 
of the Andes. One species occurs in the wood-region of S.E. 
Brazil, and another in the interior, but none, so far as we 
know, in Amazonia and Guiana. From the true Wrens the 
Scytalopodes may be easily distinguished externally by the 
operculum of the nostril and the divided scutes on the planta. 
I have six distinct species of Scytalopus in my collection; 
and there are two others known of which I have not yet suc¬ 
ceeded in getting examples. 
The most complete account yet given of the species of this 
genus is that of Lafresnaye in Jardine's ‘ Contributions to 
Ornithology^ for 1851. 
The species of Scytalopus may be arranged as follows:— 
a. supra unicolores, 
/minor, totus nigroplumbeus . 1 . magellanicus . 
\ minor: pectore albo-cinereo .. 2. spelimcce. 
J major, totus cinereus. 3. senilis. 
1 major, ventre obsolete transradiato. 4. obscurus. 
b. dorso postico rufo. 
hypochondriis rufis. 5. griseicollis. 
b'. hypochondriis rufo nigroque undulatis, 
{ minor: pectore schistaceo . 6. sylvestris. 
minor: pectore albo. 7. indigoticus. 
major: pectore plurabeo . 8. analis. 
