Family.—SYLVIADÆ.
Sub-Fam.—MOTACILLINÆ.
1. Muscisaxicola mentalis. D’Orb. & Lafr.
M. mentalis, D’Orb. & Lafr. Mag. de Zool. 1837, p. 66.
—— Voy. dans l’Amer. Mer. Ornith. pl. 40, f. 1.
I procured specimens of this bird from Bahia Blanca, in Northern Patagonia, from Tierra del Fuego, from Chiloe, and from Central and Northern Chile. It is everywhere common. It frequents open places; so that in the wooded countries it lives entirely on the sea beaches, or near the summits of mountains, where trees do not grow. In the excessively sterile upper valleys of the Cordillera of Northern Chile I met with this bird, even at a height of little less than ten thousand feet, where the last traces of vegetation occur, and where no other bird lives. It generally moves about in very small flocks, and frequents rocky streams and marshy ground: it hops and flies from stone to stone, very much after the manner of our whinchat (Motacilla rubetra), but when alighting it frequently expands its tail like a fan. The sexes are exactly similar in size and plumage.
Mr. G. R. Gray observes, that the genus Muscisaxicola is probably synonymous with Lessonia of Mr. Swainson; but the latter name cannot be used, as it has already been twice employed in other branches of Natural History.
2. Muscisaxicola macloviana. G. R. Gray.
Sylvia macloviana, Garn. Voy. de la Coqu. Zool. p. 663.
Curruca macloviana, Less.
I brought home only one specimen of this bird; it came from East Falkland Island, whence also those described by Messrs. Lesson and Garnot were procured. Mr. Gould considered it a distinct species, but having carefully compared it with M. mentalis, I can see not the smallest difference in any point, excepting that it is somewhat larger in all its dimensions. The length of the whole body is .6 of an inch greater, of wing when folded .45, of tarsus .2, greater than in the foregoing species. I can scarcely hesitate in thinking it a large-sized local variety, from some favourable condition in the Falkland Islands to its growth.
3. Muscisaxicola brunnea. Gould.
M. griseo-fusca; gutture abdomineque albis flavescenti tinctis, pectore obscuro; alis caudâque obscure fuscis, singulis plumis rufescenti-fusco marginatis; rectricum externarum radiis lateralibus flavescentibus.
Long. tot. 5 unc.; rostri, ¹¹⁄₁₆; alæ, 3⅛; caudæ, 2⁴⁄₈; tarsi, 1.
Head, and all the upper surface greyish brown; wings and tail dark brown, each feather margined with reddish brown; the outer webs of the external tail feathers buffy white; throat and all the under surface white, slightly tinged with buff; bill and feet blackish brown.
Habitat, Port St. Julian, Patagonia. (January).
The only specimen I procured was immature.
4. Muscisaxicola nigra. G. R. Gray.
Alauda nigra, Boddater.
—— rufa, Gmel.
—— fulva, Lath. Index.
Anthus fulvus, Vieill. Ency. Meth. p. 309.
—— variegatus, Gerv. & Eydoux, Mag. de Zool. 1836, p. 26.
Sylvia dorsalis, King.
Lessonia erythronotus, Swains. Class. of Birds.
Alouette noire à dos fauve, Pl. enl. 738.
L’Alouette à dos rouge, Azara, No. 149.
This bird has a wide geographical range. It is found in La Plata, Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego, and on the west coast at least as far north as the valley of Copiapó, in Northern Chile. It is every where common: it is a quiet, tame, inoffensive little bird: it lives on the ground, and frequents sand-dunes, beaches, and rocky coasts, which it seldom leaves: the broad shingly beds of the rivers in Chile have, however, tempted it inland, together with the Opetiorhynchus. I was told that it builds in low bushes.
1. Anthus correndera. Vieill.
Anthus correndera, Vieill. Ency. Meth. i. p. 325.
La correndera, Azara, No. 145.
This titlark is found in La Plata, Chile, and the Falkland Islands. I was informed by an intelligent sealer, that it is the only land-bird on Georgia and South Orkney (lat. 61° S.): it has, therefore, probably a further range southward than any other land-bird in the southern hemisphere. It does not live in flocks, is very common, and resembles a true Alauda in most of its habits. This species (as well as the following) is so closely allied to our meadow pipit, Anthus pratensis, that Latham considered it only as a variety; the latter has a high northern range, as the former has a southern one. There can be little doubt that the bird alluded to by Mr. Yarrell (British Birds, p. 392, vol. i.) as having been caught in the Southern Atlantic Ocean, nine hundred miles from Georgia, was this species, which was mistaken, owing to its close similarity, for the true Anthus pratensis.
2. Anthus furcatus. D’Orb. & Lafr.
A. furcatus, D’Orb. & Lafr. Mag. de Zool. 1836, p. 27. Voy. de l’Amer. Mer. Av. p. 227.
My specimens were procured on the northern bank of the Plata. It is more common there than the foregoing species, to which it is most closely allied: its chief distinguishing character appears to be the greater shortness of its toes and of the hind claw. I have seen this species alight on twigs. In the breeding season it flies upward, and then falls to the ground, with raised wings, in the peculiar manner common to the Anthus arboreus of England. It builds on the ground; nest simple; egg ¹⁰⁄₁₂ of an inch in length, and ⁷⁄₁₂ in width; colour dirty white, with small specks and blotches of dull red and obscurer ones of purple. This species, both in habits and structure, appears to be an analogue of A. arboreus of the northern hemisphere, as A. correndera is of A. pratensis. Mr. Yarrell informs me that the egg of Anthus furcatus is very different from that of A. arboreus, although the parent birds are so similar.
3. Anthus Chii. Licht.
A. Chii, Licht. Spix, Av. Sp. No. i. t. lxxvi. fig. 2. p. 75.
Le Chii, Azara, No. 146.
My specimen was procured at Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil.
Sylvicola aureola. Gould.
Plate XXVIII.
S. supra flavescenti olivacea; fronte cerviceque nitide flavis, singulis plumis ad apicem rufescenti castaneis; occipite griseo; alis caudâque nigrescentibus, latè flavo-marginatis; genis guttureque nitidè flavis; pectore concolori sed singulis plumis in medio pallidè castaneo notatis; abdomine albescenti.
Long. tot. 5 unc.; rostri, ⁸⁄₁₂; alæ, 2⁶⁄₁₂; caudæ, 2³⁄₁₂; tarsi, ¹⁰⁄₁₂.
The nape of the neck, back and tail-coverts yellowish olive; the wings and tail blackish, broadly margined with yellow; the front and crown yellow, with the tips of the feathers reddish castaneous; the hind head grey mixed with yellow, the cheeks and the throat bright yellow; the breast of the same colour, but each feather is marked down the middle with pale reddish castaneous, the sides and middle of the abdomen whitish.
Habitat, Galapagos Archipelago. (September).
This bird is not uncommon on these islands. It has the habits of our Sylviæ. It frequents the thickets in the lower, dry and rocky parts of the island, and especially a peculiar bush, with thick foliage, which grows only near the sea-coast.
Cyanotis omnicolor. Swains.
Regulus omnicolor, Vieill. Gal. pl. 166.
Sylvia rubrigastra, Vieill.
Regulus Byronensis, Gray, Griff. An. King. pl.
Tachuris omnicolor, D’Orb. & Lafr.
Tachuris roi, Azara, No. 161.
My specimens were obtained at Maldonado in June, and therefore probably it is not a bird of passage. It frequented reeds on the borders of a lake, but was exceedingly rare. I likewise saw one in Northern Patagonia, and in a collection of birds at Santiago, in Chile, made there by an inhabitant of the place. The soles of the feet of this exquisitely beautiful little bird are bright orange.
Birds. Pl. 28.
Sylvicola aureola.
Trichas velata. G. R. Gray.
Sylvia velata, Vieill. Ois. de l’Amer. Sept., ii. pl. 74.
—— D’Orb. & Lafr. Mag. de Zool. 1836, p. 20.
Tanagra canicapilla, Swains, Ill. Orn. pl. 174.
Trichas canicapilla, Swains.
My specimen was procured at Maldonado in June.