Sub-Gen. PYROCEPHALUS, Gould.
Muscicapa. Auct.
Muscipeta. Cuv.
Tyrannula. Swain.
Rostrum capite brevius, rectum, depressum, basi setis numerosis nigris obsessum; mandibulâ superiore emarginatâ, inferiorem obtegente; naribus rotundatis patulis. Caput subcristatum. Alæ longæ; remige prima secundum tertiamque longissimas subæquales fere æquante. Tarsi mediocres, anticè scutellati; digitis lateralibus inæqualibus, exteriore longiore. Cauda mediocris quadrata.
Mr. Gould observes, that “the males of nearly all the members of this group (which may be considered either as a distinct genus or sub-genus of Myiobius), have the crown of the head and greater part of the under surface scarlet. Four species were obtained.—Pyrocephalus parvirostris, (Gould), and Muscicapa coronata, (Auct.), may be taken as types.
1. Pyrocephalus parvirostris. Gould.
Plate VI.
Le Churrinche, Azara. No. 177.
P. suprà fuscus; capite et subtus nitidè puniceis; rectricibus exterioribus tectricumque
et secundariorum apicibus griseo-marginatis.
Long. tot. 5⁵⁄₁₂ unc.; alæ, 13¹⁄₁₂; caudæ, 2⁵⁄₁₂; tarsi, ⁷⁄₁₂; rost., ⁶⁄₁₂.
Birds. Pl. 6.
Pyrocephalus parvirostris.
Birds. Pl. 7.
Pyrocephalus nanus.
Crown of the head, crest, and all the under surface, bright scarlet; the remainder of the plumage, deep brown; the outer tail-feathers on each side, and the edges of the secondaries and wing-coverts, margined with grey.
Habitat, La Plata, (October.)
This species differs from Pyr. coronatus or Musicapa coronata, of authors, chiefly in its size; in other respects it is very similar. The admeasurements of the latter, for comparison (as given me by Mr. G. R. Gray), are: total length, 5 inches and 8 lines; bill, between 9 and 10 lines; wings, 3 inches and 2 lines; tail, 2 inches and 7 lines; tarsi, 7 or 8 lines.
During the summer, this bird was common both near Buenos Ayres and Maldonado; but at the latter place, I did not see one in the months of May, June, July, (winter) and therefore, no doubt it is a bird of passage, migrating southward during the summer from Brazil. The birds of this and the allied genera, correspond very closely in their habits to certain of the Sylviadæ of Europe; some of the species frequenting bushes, like the black-cap, (Sylvia atricapilla); others more usually the ground, as the robin (Sylvia rubecula) or hedge-sparrow (Accentor modularis). Another group (Synallaxis, &c.) represent those European Sylviæ, which frequent reeds.
2. Pyrocephalus obscurus. Gould.
P. lividus rufotinctus; præcipuè in fronte ventreque.
Long. tot. 5⁹⁄₁₂ unc.; alæ, 3²⁄₁₂; caudæ, 2⁵⁄₁₂; tarsi, ⁷⁄₁₂; rost., ⁸⁄₁₂.
All the plumage chocolate brown, tinged with red, the latter colour predominating on the forehead and lower part of the abdomen; bill and tarsi, black.
A single specimen was obtained, and it would appear to be either an immature bird or a female.
Habitat, Lima, Peru. (August.)
3. Pyrocephalus nanus. Gould.
Plate VII.
P. fuscus; rectricum exteriorum marginibus omniumque et sècundariorum apicibus nitidè griseo-brunneis.
Femina, brunnea; gutture griseo-albo; corpore subtus pallidè flavescente; pectoris laterumque plumis in medio brunneo-striatis.
Long. tot. 4¹¹⁄₁₂ unc.; alæ, 2²⁄₁₆; caudæ, 2²⁄₁₂; tarsi, ⁸⁄₁₂; rostri, ⁸⁄₁₂.
Male.
Crown of the head, crest, and all the under surface, scarlet; back, wings, and tail, sooty brown; the external margin of the outer tail feathers, and the tips of all, light greyish brown; bill and tarsi, black.
Female.
All the upper surface, wings, and tail, brown; throat, greyish white; the remainder of under surface, pale buff, the feathers of the chest and flanks, with an obscure fine stripe of light brown down the centre.
Habitat, Galapagos Archipelago. (September.)
There is nothing remarkable in the habits of this bird. It frequents both the arid and rocky districts near the coast, and the damp woods in the higher parts of several of the islands in the Galapagos Archipelago.
4. Pyrocephalus dubius. Gould.
P. minor, lividus; fronte, superciliis corporeque subtus stramineis; tectricibus stramineo marginatis.
Long. tot. 4¹⁄₁₂ unc; alæ, 2³⁄₁₂; caudæ, 1⁹⁄₁₂; tarsi, ⁷⁄₁₂; rost.
Forehead, stripe over the eye, and all the under surface pale buff; back of the neck and upper surface chocolate brown; greater and lesser wing coverts margined with buff.
Habitat, Galapagos Archipelago, (September).
From the appearance of this bird when alive, although closely resembling P. nanus, I entertained no doubt that it was a distinct species. Mr. G. R. Gray informs me that there is a specimen of a male in the British Museum, which differs from the male of the precedent species, in having the upper colour of a decided brown, and the external margins of the outer tail feathers and tips of the secondaries rather reddish white; also in size as stated by Mr. Gould.
Myiobius. G. R. Gray.
Tyrannula. Swains.
Mr. Gould had adopted for the following species Mr. Swainson’s generic appellation of Tyrannula, but Mr. G. R. Gray has pointed out, that as Tyrannulus was proposed and published eleven years before, namely in 1816, by Vieillot, it becomes necessary to change the former name, and therefore he proposes Myiobius.
1. Myiobius albiceps. G. R. Gray.
Muscipeta albiceps. D’Orb. & Lafr. Mag. de Zool. 1837, p. 47.
This bird is not uncommon in Tierra del Fuego, and along the western coast of the southern part of the continent, where the land is covered with trees; it is occasionally found near Valparaiso in central Chile; and likewise in Banda Oriental on the banks of the Plata, where the country is open, from all of which places I procured specimens. At Port Famine and in the islands of the Chonos Archipelago, it inhabits the gloomiest recesses of the great forests. It generally remains quietly seated high up amongst the tallest trees, whence it constantly repeats a very plaintive, gentle whistle, in an uniform tone. The sound can be heard at some distance, yet it is difficult to perceive from which quarter it proceeds, and from how far off; and I remained in consequence, for some time in doubt, from what bird it proceeded.