186. LOCHMIAS NEMATURA (Licht.). (BRAZILIAN LOCHMIAS.) +Lochmias nematura+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 462 (Paraná). _Description._--Above clear brown, rump blackish, elongated superciliaries white; tail blackish; beneath blackish brown, with numerous large white oval spots occupying the centre of the feathers; bill horn-colour, lower mandible pale brown at the base; feet brown: whole length 5·5 inches, wing 2·8, tail 2·0. _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." Subfam. III. _SYNALLAXINÆ._ 188. PHLŒOCRYPTES MELANOPS (Vieill.). (RUSH-LOVING SPINE-TAIL.) +Synallaxis melanops+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 470 (Mendoza). +Phlœocryptes melanops+, _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 63; _Durnford, Ibis_, 1877, p. 179 (Buenos Ayres), et 1878, p. 396 (Central Patagonia); _Barrows, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Cl._ viii. p. 206 (Bahia Blanca). _Description._--Above, forehead brown, crown blackish, broad superciliaries buffy white; upper half of back black, marked with a few grey stripes; lower back and rump, also sides of head and neck, light brown; wings blackish, mottled with light chestnut on the coverts; and a broad band of the same colour occupying the basal half of the wing-feathers; tail blackish, the two middle feathers brownish grey, the others slightly tipped with the same colour; beneath white, more or less tinged on the throat, flanks, and under tail-coverts with pale brown; under wing-coverts fulvous; bill and feet pale horn-colour: whole length 5·8 inches, wing 2·3, tail 1·6. _Female_ similar. _Hab._ Chili, Patagonia, and Argentina.