P la t e L X X X .
FOIIMICIVORA STRIGILATA.
(STEE.AKED ANT-IHEÜSH).
Myiotliera strigilata
Formicivora strigilata
M a s . B e itr. iii. p. 1064.
M én etrié s, Mém. Ac. Im p . S t. P e t. S'
Mon. des M y io th . p. 51.
Scl. P .Z .S . 1858, p. 242.
vi. Sc. N a t. I , p . 4 92 {1825) :
S u p ra c astanea , n ig ro s tria ta ; alis n ig ris albo lim b a tis ; su p e rc iliis e t co rp o re su b tù s a lb is ; g u ttu r e to to cum
p e cto re n ig ris, liypochondriis fulvo perfusia ; c audâ n ig râ albo te rm in a te , re e tric ib u s d u a b u s mediis castau cis :
su b a larib u s albis : ro atro n ig ric an te , p edibus fuscis : long, to tâ 5 '5 , alæ 2 4 , caudæ re c tr. mod. 2 '4 , r e c tr . ext. 1 8 ,
r o s tr i a ric tu 0 '8 , ta rs i 1'15. Fern. ì l a r i similis, sed su b tù s omnino so rd id e alba, p e cto ris la te rib u s n ig ro stria tis.
Hah. iu prov. Bahieusi B ra s il, o rien t. {M a x.).
The late Prince Maximilian o f Neuwiecl—our best original autliority upon the birds of
the wood-region o f Eastern Brazil, described this beautiful Ant-Thrusli in 1831, aud still
remains the only writer who has spoken o f it from personal observation. Prince Max. tells
us that he met with it singly and in pairs, in the dense thickets o f the forests o f Bahia. It is
generally seen i-unning upon the ground, or hopping among the lower branches about a foot
from the earth. Its call consists o f three notes, which arc audible at some distance, aud is
common to tbe two sexes.
Formicivora strigliata is a t}-pical member of the genus, though o f rather larger dimensions
and stronger form than its immediate allies. It does not very closely resemble any other
described species, but appears to come nearest to F. rufatra o f Sclater’s Catalogue, of whicli
Myothera m fa o f Prince Max. is the female. In the latter species, as in the present bird,
the black throat and breast ai-e characteristic o f the male sex, and are replaced by striations iu
the female.
Though bird-skins arc collected in the neighbourhood o f Bahia in large quantities, the
present Aut-Thrush seems to be by no means of common occurrence. At the date o f the
compilation o f his Catalogue o f American Birds Sclater was not in possession o f specimens of
it, but has since obtained o f the dealers in Paris examples o f both sexes, ft-om which our figures
have been taken. These specimens present the usual form o f skins o f Bahian preparation,
aud, wc have little doubt, were originally received from that province; indeed, as far as wc arc
aware, the species is confined to this district o f the Brazilian Empire, for neither Burmeister
nor Natterer, nor any other collector in the more southern provinces appears to liavc met with it.