Hab. South-east Brazil and Northern Argentina.
Professor Burmeister met with this Brazilian species near Paraná, where it lives on the ground among the bushes.
Subfam. II. SCLERURINÆ.
[187.] SCLERURUS UMBRETTA (Licht.).
(THE SPINY LEAF-SCRAPER.)
Sclerurus caudacutus, White, P. Z. S. 1882, p. 610 (Misiones). Sclerurus umbretta, Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 62.
Description.—Above dark brown, rump and upper tail-coverts rufous; wing-feathers blackish, glossed with dull brown; tail black; beneath, throat white, the feathers edged with dark brown; breast dull rufous; belly and flanks same colour as back; under wing-coverts whitish brown; bill and feet black: whole length 7·1 inches, wing 3·6, tail 2·6.
Hab. Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina.
White has the following note on this interesting species:—“Only two of these birds were observed during my trip through Misiones. It frequents the dense gloomy forests, where it busies itself in scraping amongst the dead leaves; and although it may be close at hand and the rustling distinct, a quick eye is required to detect it, as its plumage is of the exact colour of decaying foliage. If startled, it flies up onto the trunk of the nearest tree, and there remains perfectly motionless in an upright position. I never heard it utter a single note.”