Chapter IV: Introduction (3)

_Description._--Above dark purple-black; front half of the cap
yellow; below yellow, throat purple-black; tail beneath black,
with a large white patch on the inner webs of the two exterior
tail-feathers; under surface of wings black, with a large white
patch on the inner webs of the remiges; bill and feet black: whole
length 3·3 inches, wing 2·1, tail 1·2. _Female_ above greyish
olive-green, with a yellowish tinge on the front and rump; below
rather more yellowish, with the centre of the breast and belly pale
ashy, flanks and crissum pale yellow; under wing-coverts and inner
margins of wing-feathers whitish.

_Hab._ Guiana, Brazil, Paraguay, and Northern Argentina.

White obtained examples of this species at Concepcion and Catamarca. At the former place it was noticed feeding on the fruit of a giant cactus.

35. PIPRIDEA MELANONOTA (Vieill.).

(DARK-BACKED TANAGER.)

+Pipridea melanonota+, _Scl. Cat. B._ xi. p. 92. +Pica de punza azul
y canela+, _Azara, Apunt._ i. p. 413.

_Description._--Above violaceous blue; while interscapular region
darker, blackish; wings and tail black, edged with blue; narrow
front, lores, and sides of the head deep velvety black, well
defined; body beneath and under wing-coverts clear ochraceous; under
surfaces of wings and tail blackish; bill black; feet brown: whole
length 5·8 inches, wing 3·1, tail 2·2. _Female_ above dark brown,
tinged with blue on the head and rump; below like the male.

_Hab._ South America from Venezuela to Paraguay and Northern Argentina.

This Tanager, which was found by Azara in Paraguay, occurs in Tucuman. An adult male obtained by Herr Schulz in this province is in the collection of Hans, Graf von Berlepsch.

36. STEPHANOPHORUS LEUCOCEPHALUS (Vieill.).

(WHITE-CAPPED TANAGER.)

[Plate IV.]

+Stephanophorus leucocephalus+, _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 20;
_Durnford, Ibis_, 1877, p. 170 (Buenos Ayres); _White, P. Z. S._
1882, p. 597 (Misiones); _Barrows, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Cl._ viii.
p. 90 (Concepcion); _Scl. Cat. B._ xi. p. 143. +Stephanophorus
coeruleus+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 480 (Paraná).

_Description._--Uniform deep blue; cap silky white, with a small
crimson crest; bill brownish black, feet brown: whole length 7
inches, wing 4, tail 3·3. _Female_ similar, but not quite so bright
in colour.

_Hab._ Southern Brazil, Paraguay, and Northern Argentina.

Azara gave the generic name _Lindo_ (beautiful) to the Tanagers, and this species he named the "Blue White-headed Beautiful," the entire plumage being of a very lovely deep corn-flower blue, except a cap of silvery-white feathers on the head, with a crimson spot on the forehead, looking like a drop of blood.

It is a summer bird in Buenos Ayres, where it makes its appearance in spring in the woods bordering on the Plata river, and is usually seen singly or in pairs. The nest is built in a tree ten or twelve feet from the ground, and is somewhat shallow and lined with soft dry grass. The female lays four eggs, white and spotted with deep red. During incubation the male sits concealed in the thick foliage close by, amusing itself by the hour with singing, its performance consisting of chattering disconnected notes uttered in so low a tone as to make one fancy that the bird is merely trying to recall some melody it has forgotten, or endeavouring to construct a new one by jerking out a variety of sounds at random. The bird never gets beyond this unsatisfactory stage, however, and must be admired for its exquisite beauty alone.

37. TANAGRA SAYACA, Linn.

(BLUE TANAGER.)

+Tanagra cyanoptera+, _Durnford, Ibis_, 1878, p. 59 (Buenos Ayres);
_Barrows, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Cl._ viii. p. 91 (Concepcion); _Scl.
Cat. B._ xi. p. 157 (part.). +Tanagra sayaca+, _Burm. La-Plata
Reise_, ii. p. 479 (Paraná); _Berl. Zeitschr. ges. Orn._ 1885,
p. 119, _Scl. Cat. B._ xi. p. 158.

_Description._--Bluish grey, paler below; wings and tail blackish,
edged with greenish blue; lesser wing-coverts dull greenish blue,
like the edgings of the wings; bill plumbeous, feet brown: whole
length 6·0 inches, wing 3·6, tail 2·7. _Female_ similar.

_Hab._ S.E. Brazil and Argentina.

In the 'Catalogue of Birds' I referred the Argentine Blue Tanager to _T. cyanoptera_, though expressing a doubt upon the subject. I am now disposed to adopt Graf. v. Berlepsch's view that the Argentine species rather belongs to _T. sayaca_.--P. L. S.

This species migrates as far south as Buenos Ayres, and appears in spring, in small flocks or parties of three or four birds, in the woods on the shores of the Plata. The male utters a series of peculiar squealing notes by way of song.

38. TANAGRA BONARIENSIS (Gm.).

(BLUE-AND-YELLOW TANAGER.)

+Tanagra bonariensis+, _Berl. Zeitschr. ges. Orn._ 1885, p. 119;
_Scl. Cat. B._ xi. p. 164. +Tanagra striata+, _Burm. La-Plata
Reise_, ii. p. 480 (Buenos Ayres, Mendoza, Cordova); _Scl. et
Salv. Nomencl._ p. 21; _Durnford, Ibis_, 1877, p. 170 (Buenos
Ayres); _White, P. Z. S._ 1882, p. 596 (Catamarca); _Barrows,
Bull. Nutt. Orn. Cl._ viii. p. 91 (Concepcion).

_Description._--Lores, region round the eyes, and back black; rump
orange; head all round and edging of wings and tail blue; abdomen
yellow, passing into orange on the breast; bill horn-colour; feet
brown: whole length 7 inches, wing 3·6, tail 2·8. _Female_ greyish
brown; beneath paler, tinged with yellowish olive on the rump and
throat.

_Hab._ South Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentine Republic, and Bolivia.

The plumage of the male of this fine Tanager is rich blue above and yellow beneath; the upper plumage of the female is a uniform dull olive-green, the breast and belly buff-colour.

It is a migratory species, which appears in Buenos Ayres in small flocks in summer. Both sexes have a long, sharp, reedy call-note; the male also possesses a song composed of notes with a peculiar bleating sound.

39. PYRANGA AZARÆ, d'Orb.

(AZARA'S TANAGER.)

+Pyranga azaræ+, _Durnford, Ibis_, 1880, p. 353 (Tucuman); _White, P.
Z. S._ 1883, p. 37 (Cordova); _Scl. Cat. B._ xi. p. 186. +Pyranga
coccinea+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 479 (Paraná, Mendoza).
+Pyranga saira+, _Barrows, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Cl._ viii. p. 91
(Concepcion).

_Description._--Above dull rosy red; interscapulium and wing-edgings
with cinereous tinge; below much brighter, nearly uniform rosy red,
duller on the sides; bill plumbeous; feet brown: total length 7·2
inches, wing 3·8, tail 3·1. _Female_ greyish olive; beneath yellow,
passing into cinereous on the flanks and belly.

_Hab._ Argentine Republic, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Bolivia.

This scarlet Tanager appears occasionally in the northern and eastern provinces of Argentina.

40. TRICHOTHRAUPIS QUADRICOLOR (Vieill.).

(FOUR-COLOURED TANAGER.)

+Trichothraupis quadricolor+, _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 23; _White,
P. Z. S._ 1882, p. 597 (Misiones); _Scl. Cat. B._ xi. p. 220.

_Description._--Above greyish olive; a large, recumbent, vertical
crest bright yellow; sides of the head, wings, and tail black; below
pale fulvous; under wing-coverts and a cross-bar near the base of
the wing-feathers white; bill whitish, plumbeous at base; feet
pale brown: total length 6·0 inches, wing 3·3, tail 2·9. _Female_
similar, but without the vertical crest.

_Hab._ Southern Brazil, Paraguay, and N.E. Argentina.

This species was met with by White in the dense forests of Misiones.

41. THLYPOPSIS RUFICEPS (d'Orb. et Lafr.).

(RED-CAPPED TANAGER.)

+Thlypopsis ruficeps+, _Scl. Cat. B._ xi. p. 231.

_Description._--Above cinereous; cap bright chestnut-red; beneath
yellow, flanks tinged with cinereous; under wing-coverts white; bill
plumbeous, feet pale brown: whole length 5 inches, wing 2·5, tail
2·0.

_Hab._ Bolivia and Tucuman.

Herr Schulz obtained specimens of this Bolivian species in Tucuman.

42. BUARREMON CITRINELLUS, Cab.

(YELLOW-STRIPED TANAGER.)

+Buarremon citrinellus+, _Cab. Journ. f. Orn._ 1883, p. 109; _Scl.
Cat. B._ xi. p. 270.

_Description._--Above olive-green, darker on the head; wings and
tail blackish brown, edged with olive; a broad superciliary stripe
commencing on the front on each side, and another commencing at the
gape, bright yellow, leaving in the middle a broad patch of dark
olive; beneath yellow, breast and flanks olivaceous; throat yellow,
bordered on each side by a dark olive mystacal stripe; bill black;
feet brown: whole length 6·5 inches, wing 2·8, tail 2.

_Hab._ Tucuman.

This is a rather aberrant species of _Buarremon_, as yet only known from Tucuman, where it was discovered by Schulz.

43. ARREMON ORBIGNII, Sclater.

(D'ORBIGNY'S TANAGER.)

+Arremon orbignii+, _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 25; _White, P. Z. S._
1882, p. 597 (Catamarca); _Scl. Cat. B._ xi. p. 274.

_Description._--Above olive-green; wings and tail blackish, edged
with olive; head black, superciliaries white, vertical stripe and
nape cinereous; beneath white, with a narrow but distinct pectoral
band; sides cinereous; bend of wing yellow; bill yellow, with the
upper half of the upper mandible black; feet brown: total length 5·7
inches, wing 2·8, tail 2·6.

_Hab._ Bolivia and Northern Argentina.

Specimens of this Tanager were obtained by White on the Sierras of Totoral, near Catamarca, in July 1880. The iris is marked as "blue."

44. SALTATOR SIMILIS, d'Orb. et Lafr.

(ALLIED SALTATOR.)

+Saltator similis+, _d'Orb. Voy., Ois._ p. 290, t. xxviii.
fig. 2 (Corrientes); _Scl. Cat. B._ xi. p. 287. +Saltator
superciliaris+, _White, P. Z. S._ 1882, p. 597 (Corrientes)?

_Description._--Above cinereous; interscapulium and greater
wing-coverts and secondaries suffused with olive-green;
superciliaries white; below pale fulvous; throat white, bordered
on each side by a black line; flanks passing into cinereous;
under wing-coverts pale fulvous; bill plumbeous; feet brown:
whole length 8·5 inches, wing 4·0, tail 4·0. _Female_ similar.

_Hab._ S.E. Brazil and Eastern Argentina.

This Saltator was first described from specimens obtained at Rincon de Luna in Corrientes by d'Orbigny, but no recent collectors appear to have met with it in the Argentine Republic.

45. SALTATOR CÆRULESCENS, Vieill.

(GREYISH SALTATOR.)

+Saltator cærulescens+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 480 (Paraná);
_Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 26; _Durnford, Ibis_, 1878, p. 59
(Buenos Ayres); _Salvin, Ibis_, 1880, p. 353 (Salta); _White, P.
Z. S._ 1882, p. 597 (Salta); _Scl. Cat. B._ xi. p. 290.

_Description._--Above cinereous, wings and tail rather darker; short
superciliaries white; beneath pale cinereous; throat white, with a
blackish rictal stripe on each side; fore neck slightly tinged with
fulvous; middle of belly whitish; lower belly and crissum strongly
suffused with fulvous; under wing-coverts pale fulvous; bill black;
feet brown: total length 8·5 inches, wing 4·3, tail 4·1. _Female_
similar.

_Hab._ Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina.

Mr. Durnford found this Saltator "pretty common" near Baradero, on low scrubby ground near water, and afterwards obtained it near Salta. White records it as "very abundant" near Oran.

46. SALTATOR AURANTIIROSTRIS, Vieill.

(YELLOW-BILLED SALTATOR.)

+Saltator aurantiirostris+, _d'Orb. Voy., Ois._ p. 288 (Corrientes);
_Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 481 (Mendoza, Cordova, Tucuman,
Paraná); _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 26; _White, P. Z. S._ 1882,
p. 508 (Catamarca); _Barrows, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Cl._ viii. p. 91
(Concepcion); _Scl. Cat. B._ xi. p. 292.

_Description._--Above cinereous, with a slight olivaceous suffusion;
head rather darker; sides of head and throat black; superciliary
stripe, commencing above the eye, white; beneath pale cinereous
mixed with fulvous, a well-marked guttural collar joining the sides
of the throat black; ends of the outer rectrices more or less varied
with white; bill clear orange; feet greyish brown: whole length
7·5 inches, wing 3·6, tail 3·5. _Female_ similar, less brightly
coloured, and with the guttural collar almost or altogether absent.

_Hab._ Paraguay, Uruguay, and Northern Argentina.

In Corrientes d'Orbigny found this Saltator breeding in the month of November. It frequents the shrubs and bushes in the neighbourhood of the houses, and makes an open nest of roots, not of very neat construction. The eggs are two or three, greenish blue, slightly spotted at the larger end with blackish and reddish zigzag markings. The egg is figured in d'Orbigny's 'Voyage' (pl. xxviii. fig. 3).

White tells us that this species is not uncommon in Catamarca, and Barrows met with it at Concepcion in Entrerios.

Fam. X. FRINGILLIDÆ, or FINCHES.

The extensive family of Finches, which has numerous representatives in every part of the world, is well represented in the Argentine Republic. Within the limits assigned to the present work forty-six species of his group are already known to occur, and it is probable that this number will be somewhat increased when the Argentine avifauna is thoroughly worked out.

Most of the genera to which the Argentine Finches belong are forms peculiar to the Neotropical Region, or at all events to the New World. The genus _Chrysomitris_, which contains our Siskin and other Old-World species, is the only one which has a wider distribution.

One of the most characteristic forms of Argentine Fringillidæ is _Poospiza_, of which seven species are met with within the limits of the Republic, while _Lophospingus_, _Donacospiza_, _Gubernatrix_, and _Saltatricula_ are Fringilline types peculiar to Argentina.

47. PHEUCTICUS AUREIVENTRIS (d'Orb. et Lafr.).

(BLACK-AND-YELLOW THICK-BILL.)

+Pheucticus aureiventris+, _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 27; _White, P.
Z. S._ 1882, p. 598 (Salta); _Sharpe, Cat. B._ xii. p. 55.

_Description._--Above, also head, throat, and chest, black; lesser
wing-coverts yellow; two spots on the greater coverts and the base
of the primaries white; tail black, the three outer feathers on each
side tipped with white; belly and under wing-coverts bright yellow;
sides sparsely spotted with black; bill and feet black: total length
8·7 inches, wing 4·5, tail 3·5. _Female_ similar.

_Hab._ Bolivia and Northern Argentina.

Examples of this fine species, originally discovered by d'Orbigny in Bolivia, were obtained by White in the forests of Salta.

48. GUIRACA CYANEA (Linn.).

(INDIGO FINCH.)

+Guiraca cyanea+, _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 27; _White, P. Z. S._
1882, p. 598 (Catamarca). +Guiraca cyanea argentina+, _Sharpe,
Cat. B._ xii. p. 73.

_Description._--Indigo-blue; lesser wing-coverts azure-blue; wing-
and tail-feathers black; forehead azure-blue, and head washed with
the same colour; bill and feet black: total length 6·8 inches, wing
3·6, tail 2·9. _Female_ brown; beneath brighter and rufescent.

_Hab._ Brazil, Paraguay, and Northern Argentina.

White found this bird "not uncommon around Andalgala in Catamarca, in hedges and thickets." Mr. Sharpe separates the Argentine bird as a subspecies, from its larger size.

49. GUIRACA GLAUCOCÆRULEA (d'Orb. et Lafr.).

(GLAUCOUS FINCH.)

+Guiraca glaucocærulea+, _Scl. et Salv. P. Z. S._ 1868, p. 139
(Buenos Ayres), _iid. Nomencl._ p. 27; _Durnford, Ibis_, 1877,
p. 170 (Buenos Ayres); _Salvin, Ibis_, 1880, p. 353 (Salta);
_Barrows, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Cl._ viii. p. 92 (Concepcion);
_Sharpe, Cat. B._ xii. p. 75. +Coccoborus glaucocæruleus+,
_Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 488 (Paraná).

_Description._--Uniform glaucous blue; wings and tail blackish, the
feathers edged with light blue: total length 5·7 inches, wing 2·9,
tail 2·3.

_Hab._ Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina.

This is a rare Finch, and its massive beak and rich blue plumage give to it a highly interesting appearance; but about its habits I have little to tell, for it is essentially a bird of the wild forest, seldom coming near the abodes of man, and being, moreover, shy in disposition, it is difficult to observe it even in its haunts. It is migratory, and is usually seen singly or in pairs, or in small companies of four or five individuals. The male sings, but his performance is merely a confused medley of chattering notes, uttered in so low a tone that they can scarcely be heard at a distance of twelve yards.

50. ORYZOBORUS MAXIMILIANI, Cab.

(PRINCE MAX.'S FINCH.)

+Oryzoborus maximiliani+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 488
(Tucuman); _Sharpe, Cat. B._ xii. p. 78.

_Description._--Black; large alar speculum, axillaries, and under
wing-coverts white; bill pale yellow; feet brown: total length 5·8
inches, wing 2·9, tail 2·5. _Female_ brown; beneath brownish
ochraceous.

_Hab._ S. Brazil, Paraguay, and Northern Argentina.

This Finch is stated by Burmeister to occur near Tucuman.

51. SPERMOPHILA PALUSTRIS, Barrows.

(MARSH FINCH.)

+Spermophila palustris+, _Barrows, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Cl._ viii. p. 82
(Concepcion); _Sharpe, Cat. B._ xii. p. 112.

_Description._--Above, from bill to rump, clear bluish ash; below,
from bill to middle of breast, including lower eyelid, ear-coverts,
and sides of neck, pure white; rest of underparts, rump, and upper
tail-coverts bright chestnut-red; wings and tail blackish brown,
edged with whitish; inner secondaries black, their tips and outer
edges broadly white; a white patch across the base of all the
primaries except the first two; bill and feet black, iris dark:
total length 4·50 inches, wing 2·18, tail 1·70. _Female_ above
uniform greenish olive, obscurely streaked with dusky; below light
yellowish buff; wings and tail nearly as in male, but duller.

This small and beautiful Finch was discovered by Mr. Barrows in February 1880, on the Lower Uruguay. It inhabits the marshes, where the males are frequently seen pursuing each other in the pairing-season, occasionally pausing on the top of some tall grass to pour out their delightful song. In character this resembles that of the Black-headed Goldfinch; but has, Mr. Barrows says, a variety and sweetness far beyond the powers of that bird.

It is just possible that Mr. Barrows's Finch may be Azara's unidentified _Chipiu pardo y canela_ (Apuntamientos, vol. i. no. 143), which has the same habits, living in the dense reed-beds of the Paraguayan marshes, and is also a delightful singer,--superior to the Goldfinch or Canary, Azara says.

52. SPERMOPHILA MELANOCEPHALA (Vieill.).

(BLACK-HEADED FINCH.)

+Spermophila melanocephala+, _Sharpe, Cat. B._ xii. p. 118.

_Description._--Above black; rump and lesser wing-coverts bright
rufous; large loral spot on each side white; wings and tail black;
alar speculum white; beneath, throat white, band across the breast
black; belly pale rufous; flanks and crissum dark rufous; under
wing-coverts white; bill and feet black: whole length 5·0 inches,
wing 2·4, tail 2·2.

_Hab._ Paraguay and Argentina.

A specimen of this species, now in the British Museum, was obtained by Durnford at Punta Lara in October 1875.

53. SPERMOPHILA CÆRULESCENS (Vieill.).

(SCREAMING FINCH.)

+Spermophila cærulescens+, _Scl. Ibis_, 1871, p. 12; _Scl. et Salv.
Nomencl._ p. 28; _White, P. Z. S._ 1882, p. 508 (Buenos Ayres);
_Barrows, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Cl._ viii. p. 92 (Concepcion);
_Sharpe, Cat. B._ xii. p. 126. +Sporophila ornata+, _Burm.
La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 488 (Mendoza, Paraná). +Spermophila
ornata+, _Scl. et Salv. P. Z. S._ 1869, p. 632; _Durnford, Ibis_,
1877, p. 170 (Buenos Ayres); _Salv. Ibis_, 1880, p. 353 (Salta).

_Description._--Above pale smoky brown; front and lores black;
beneath, chin and upper part of throat black, with a distinct white
mystacal stripe on each side; fore neck white; broad band across the
chest black; abdomen white, slightly varied with grey and black on
the flanks; under wing-coverts white; bill pale horn-colour; feet
brown: whole length 4·8 inches, wing 2·3, tail 1·9. _Female_ pale
olive-brown; wings and tail darker; beneath lighter, tinged with
ochraceous; middle of the belly almost white.

_Hab._ Southern Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, and Bolivia.

This species is a summer visitor in Buenos Ayres, and is one of the last to arrive and first to depart of our migrants. These birds are always most abundant in plantations, preferring peach-trees, but do not associate in flocks: they are exceedingly swift and active, overflowing with life and energy, their impetuous notes and motions giving one the idea that they are always in a state of violent excitement. The male has a loud, startled chirp, also a song composed of eight or ten notes, delivered with such vehemence and rapidity, that they run into each other and sound more like a scream than a song. There is not a more clever architect than this species; and while many _Synallaxes_ are laboriously endeavouring to show how stately a mansion of sticks a little bird can erect for itself, the Screaming Finch has successfully solved the problem of how to construct the most perfect nest for lightness, strength, and symmetry with the fewest materials. It is a small, cup-shaped structure, suspended hammock-wise between two slender upright branches, and to which it is securely attached by fine hairs and webs. It is made of thin, pale-coloured, fibrous roots, ingeniously woven together--reddish or light-coloured horse-hair being sometimes substituted; and so little material is used that, standing under the tree, a person can easily count the eggs through the bottom of the nest. Its apparent frailness is, however, its best protection from the prying eyes of birds and mammals that prey on the eggs and young of small birds; for it is difficult to detect this slight structure, through which the sunshine and rain pass so freely. So light is the little basket-nest that it may be placed on the open hand and blown away with the breath like a straw; yet so strong that a man can suspend his weight from it without pulling it to pieces. The eggs are three in number, white and spotted with black, sometimes bluish-brown spots are mingled with the black.

54. PAROARIA CUCULLATA (Lath.).

(CARDINAL FINCH.)

+Paroaria cucullata+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 482 (Paraná,
Tucuman); _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 30; _Durnford, Ibis_,
1877, p. 171 (Buenos Ayres); _Gibson, Ibis_, 1880, p. 19 (Buenos
Ayres); _White, P. Z. S._ 1882, p. 598 (Buenos Ayres); _Barrows,
Bull. Nutt. Orn. Cl._ viii. p. 129 (Concepcion).

_Description._--Above grey; wing- and tail-feathers blackish grey;
head all round, crest, and throat brilliant scarlet, the scarlet
extending downwards to the chest; below white, the white colour
extending up the sides of the neck; nape spotted with white: total
length 8·0 inches, wing 4·0, tail 3·5. _Female_ similar.

_Hab._ Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina.

This well-known species is perhaps the finest Finch the Argentines have. The entire upper plumage is clear grey, the under surface pure white; but its chief glory is its crest, which, with the anterior part of the head and the throat, is of the most vivid scarlet. The song has little variety, but is remarkably loud, and has that cheerful ring which most people admire in their caged pets, possibly because it produces the idea in the listener's mind that the songster is glad to be a prisoner. As a cage-bird this Finch enjoys an extraordinary popularity; and a stranger in Buenos Ayres, seeing the numbers that are exposed for sale by the bird-dealers in the markets of that city, might fancy that a Cardinal in a cage is considered a necessary part of the _ménage_ of every house in the country. This large supply of caged birds comes from South Brazil, Paraguay, and the north-eastern part of the Argentine country, where the Cardinals are most abundant and unite in large flocks. Probably they are not snared, but taken when young from the nest, as most of the birds exposed for sale are in immature plumage.

The Cardinal in a wild state is found as far south as the province of Buenos Ayres, but it is there a scarce bird. It breeds, Mr. Gibson writes, at the end of October, and makes a shallow nest of twigs, vine-tendrils, and horse-hair. The eggs are four; ground-colour white or tinged with faint brown or greenish, and spotted with brown, more densely at the large end.

55. PAROARIA CAPITATA (d'Orb. et Lafr.).

(LESSER CARDINAL FINCH.)

+Paroaria capitata+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 482; _Scl. et
Salv. Nomencl._ p. 30; _White, P. Z. S._ 1882, p. 598.

_Description._--Above black; head bright scarlet, the black and red
divided by white, crescent-shaped marks on the neck, narrowing to a
point on the nape; throat black, the black extending downward to the
chest; below white; bill and feet yellowish horn-colour: total
length 6·6 inches, wing 3·0, tail 2·6.

_Hab._ Paraguay and Bolivia.

Dr. Burmeister tells us this species is not uncommon near Paraná, where it occurs in small flocks on the river-bank, and is often seen on the stones at the river's edge.

56. CORYPHOSPINGUS CRISTATUS (Gm.).

(RED-CRESTED FINCH.)

+Coryphospingus cristatus+, _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 30; _Salvin,
Ibis_, 1880, p. 354 (Salta); _White, P. Z. S._ 1882, p. 598
(Salta).

_Description._--Above black, washed with red; rump crimson; wing-
and tail-feathers black; forehead black; crest vivid scarlet; whole
under surface fine crimson: total length 5·5 inches, wing 2·6, tail
2·3. _Female_ above brown, with scarlet tinge on the rump; beneath
salmon-colour, whitish on the throat.

_Hab._ Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Northern Argentina.

Both Durnford and White obtained specimens of this bird in the province of Salta; White's examples were met with in open country, dotted with thickets of low brushwood, to which the bird resorts.

57. LOPHOSPINGUS PUSILLUS (Burm.).

(DARK-CRESTED FINCH.)

+Lophospiza pusilla+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 483.
+Lophospingus pusillus+, _Cab. J. f. O._ 1878, p. 195 (Cordova).
+Coryphospingus pusillus+, _Salv. Ibis_, 1880, p. 354, pl. ix.
fig. 1 (Tucuman).

_Description._--Above grey; sides of head and crest blackish; broad
superciliaries white; wings blackish, edged with whitish grey; tail
blackish, lateral rectrices with broad white tips; beneath greyish
white, clearer on the throat and middle of the belly; bill dark
horn-colour; lower mandible whitish; feet pale brown: whole length
5·0 inches, wing 2·5, tail 2·4.

_Hab._ Northern Argentina.

58. DONACOSPIZA ALBIFRONS (Vieill.).

(LONG-TAILED REED-FINCH.)

+Donacospiza albifrons+, _Scl. et Salv. P. Z. S._ 1869, p. 632
(Buenos Ayres), _iid. Nomencl._ p. 30; _Durnford, Ibis_, 1877,
p. 171 (Buenos Ayres); _White, P. Z. S._ 1883, p. 38 (Cordova);
_Döring, Exp. al Rio Negro, Zool._ p. 38 (Pampas). +Poospiza
albifrons+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 484 (Paraná).

_Description._--Above yellowish grey, the back striped with
blackish; lesser wing-coverts clear grey; greater coverts and
wing-feathers black, edged with brown; head nearly the same as the
back, somewhat grey on the cheek, the crown and nape washed with
olive-brown; superciliary stripe and under surface buff; bill and
feet horn-colour: total length 6·0 inches, wing 2·5, tail 3·0.

_Hab._ Paraguay, Uruguay, and La Plata.

The slender body, great length of tail, and the hue of the plumage, assimilating to that of sere decaying vegetation, might easily lead one into mistaking this Finch for a _Synallaxis_ where these birds are abundant.

I have met with it in the marshy woods and reed-beds along the shores of the Plata, but it is a shy, rare bird in Buenos Ayres. I have followed it about, hoping to hear it utter a song or melodious note, but it had only a little chirp. I would not, however, on this account pronounce it to be the one silent member of a voiceful family, as my acquaintance with it is so very slight.

59. POOSPIZA NIGRORUFA (d'Orb. et Lafr.).

(BLACK-AND-CHESTNUT WARBLING FINCH.)

+Poospiza nigrorufa+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 484 (Paraná);
_Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 30; _Durnford, Ibis_, 1877, p. 171
(Buenos Ayres); _Döring, Exp. al Rio Negro, Zool._ p. 38 (Rio
Sauce); _Barrows, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Cl._ viii. p. 129
(Concepcion).

_Description._--Entire upper parts black, faintly washed with olive;
superciliary stripe pale straw-colour; two outer tail-feathers
on each side tipped with white; throat and under surface bright
chestnut; centre of abdomen white; under tail-coverts pale buff:
total length 5·8 inches, wing 2·5, tail 2·2. _Female_: upper parts
not so dark as in male; underparts light buff, mottled and striped
with blackish.

_Hab._ South Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina.

This sweet-voiced little songster appears in Buenos Ayres at the end of September; it is a common bird in grounds abounding in bushes and scattered trees, and, in its bright ruddy breast and dark upper plumage, has some resemblance to the English Robin; only it has a very conspicuous straw-coloured line above the eye. Its voice also, in purity and sweetness of tone, is not unlike that of the Robin; but the song, composed of six unvarying notes, is uttered in a deliberate, business-like manner at regular intervals, and is monotonous. Never more than two birds are seen together; they feed on the ground in humid situations, the male frequently seeking a perch to sing. The nest is made on the round, or in a close bush near the surface; the eggs have a pale bluish ground-colour, irregularly marked with black and very dark brown spots, and in some instances clouded with faint grey.

60. POOSPIZA WHITII, Scl.

(WHITE'S WARBLING FINCH.)

+Poospiza whitii+, _Scl. P. Z. S._ 1883, p. 43, pl. ix.

_Description._--Above clear grey, very faintly washed with olive;
tail black, the outer feathers on each side tipped with white, as in
_P. erythrophrys_; patch between bill and eye, the anterior half of
superciliary stripe, and chin white; hinder part of superciliary
stripe and under surface chestnut; middle of belly white; under
tail-coverts buff: total length 5·5 inches, wing 2·4, tail 2·6.
_Female_ similar, but breast pale rufous; abdomen white; sides grey
and buff.

_Hab._ Province of Cordova, Rep. Arg.

This species has only been obtained by the late Mr. E. W. White. He met with specimens of it at Cosquin, Cordova, in June, July, and August, 1882. It has been dedicated to its discoverer, who has so largely augmented our knowledge of the Argentine avifauna, and whose premature death was a veritable loss for science.

61. POOSPIZA ERYTHROPHRYS, Scl.

(RED-BROWED WARBLING FINCH.)

+Poospiza erythrophrys+, _Scl. Ibis_, 1881, p. 599, pl. xvii. fig. 1;
_White, P. Z. S._ 1882, p. 599 (Catamarca).

_Description._--Above grey, faintly washed with olive; greater
wing-coverts tipped with white; wing-feathers blackish, edged with
grey; tail blackish grey, the two outer feathers on each side tipped
with white, and on the outer feather the white extending down
the outer web to the base of the tail; superciliary stripe and
whole under surface light chestnut, paler on the abdomen; under
tail-coverts buff: total length 5·5 inches, wing 2·5, tail 2·3.

_Hab._ Northern Argentina.

This pretty species is another of White's discoveries. He first met with it in the Sierra of Totoral, Catamarca, and subsequently about 20 miles north of Buenos Ayres.

62. POOSPIZA ASSIMILIS, Cab.

(RED-FLANKED WARBLING FINCH.)

+Poospiza assimilis+, _Cab. Mus. Hein._ i. p. 137; _White, P. Z. S._
1882, p. 599 (Misiones). +Poospiza lateralis+, _Barrows, Bull.
Nutt. Orn. Cl._ viii. p. 130 (Concepcion).

_Description._--Above grey, slight superciliary mark whitish; middle
of back and wings washed with rufous; rump bright rufous; tail
blackish, two lateral pairs of rectrices broadly tipped with white;
beneath grey, white in the middle of the belly; flanks and crissum
bright rufous; under wing-coverts greyish white; bill horn-colour,
lower mandible yellowish; feet pale brown; whole length 5·0 inches,
wing 2·5, tail 2·4.

_Hab._ Northern Argentina.

White found this species abundant amongst the thick weeds and grass in the outskirts of Concepcion. He took it for _P. thoracica_, from which it differs in its rufous rump. It is more like _P. lateralis_.

63. POOSPIZA ORNATA (Landb.).

(PRETTY WARBLING FINCH.)

+Phrygilus ornatus+, _Landb. Journ. f. Orn._ 1865, p. 405. +Poospiza
ornata+, _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 30.

_Description._--Above grey; back more or less varied with chestnut;
long superciliaries ochreous white; wings blackish, coverts edged
with white, tail black, lateral rectrices broadly tipped with white;
beneath dark chestnut, lighter on the middle of the belly; bill and
feet dark brown; whole length 5·2 inches, wing 2·4, tail 2·3.
_Female_ similar, but paler in colour, especially below.

_Hab._ Mendoza.

64. POOSPIZA TORQUATA (d'Orb. et Lafr.).

(RINGED WARBLING FINCH.)

+Poospiza torquata+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 484 (Mendoza);
_Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 30; _White, P. Z. S._ 1882, p. 599
(Santiago del Estero); _Döring, Exp. al Rio Negro, Zool._ p. 38
(R. Colorado).

_Description._--Above grey; wings blackish, the greater wing-coverts
tipped with white; tail-feathers black, the two outer on each side
tipped with white; from the bill, a broad white stripe extends
above the eye to the nape; crown grey; sides of head black; beneath
white, the chest crossed with a broad black band; under tail-coverts
rufous: total length 5·3 inches, wing 2·5, tail 2·3.

_Hab._ Bolivia and Argentina.

White met with a male of this species in September 1881, at San Pedro, in the province of Santiago. Burmeister found it near Mendoza in the valleys of Sierra de Uspallata.

65. POOSPIZA MELANOLEUCA (Vieill.).

(WHITE-AND-GREY WARBLING FINCH.)

+Poospiza melanoleuca+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 484 (Entrerios);
_Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 30; _Salv. Ibis_, 1880, p. 354, pl.
ix. fig. 2 (Tucuman); _White, P. Z. S._ 1882, p. 599 (Salta);
_Barrows, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Cl._ viii. p. 130 (Entrerios).

_Description._--Above, head and neck blackish; back grey; wings and
tail blackish, three outer rectrices on each side tipped with white;
beneath white; sides washed with grey, breast and belly also faintly
tinged with grey: whole length 5·1 inches, wing 2·3, tail 2·0.
_Female_ similar.

_Hab._ Argentina.

White says that in Salta "this bird frequents the gardens in the vicinity of the houses, where it vigorously pursues the ants amongst the branches of the trees." Mr. Barrows says that near Concepcion it had the general motions and appearance of a Titmouse, thus differing widely from the other members of the genus.

66. PHRYGILUS GAYI (Eyd. et Gerv.).

(GAY'S FINCH.)

+Phrygilus gayi+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 487 (Mendoza);
_Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 31; _White, P. Z. S._ 1882, p. 599
(Catamarca).

_Description._--Above, head all round, neck, and wing-coverts grey;
back and upper tail-coverts olive-green; wings and tail black;
beneath, throat grey, breast and belly yellow, washed with olive;
crissum and under tail-coverts white; bill and feet black: whole
length 6·0 inches, wing 3·5, tail 2·3. _Female_: above obscure
olive-green, below yellow.

_Hab._ Chili and Western Argentina.

Burmeister says that this Chilian species is found in the valleys of the Sierras near Mendoza.

67. PHRYGILUS CANICEPS (Burm.).

(GREY-HEADED FINCH.)

+Phrygilus caniceps+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 487; _Durnford,
Ibis_, 1878, p. 393 (Chupat); _Barrows, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Cl._
viii. p. 130 (Sierra de la Ventana).

_Description._--Above, head, neck, wing- and upper tail-coverts grey;
back olivaceous yellow, washed with red; wing and tail-feathers
black, edged with grey; beneath, throat grey, breast and belly
orange-yellow; crissum and under tail-coverts white; bill
horn-colour; feet light brown: whole length 6·8 inches, wing 3·6,
tail 2·9.

_Hab._ Argentina.

Of this species, discovered by Dr. Burmeister near Mendoza, Mr. Barrows writes:--"Only met with on the Sierra de la Ventana, where it was abundant in flocks, some of which numbered as many as a hundred individuals. When found near the base of the sierra they were almost always associated with the common _Zonotrichia_. Although most of them had not finished moulting, they were constantly singing, and seemed perfectly contented with their desolate surroundings."

68. PHRYGILUS DORSALIS, Cab.

(RED-BACKED FINCH.)

+Phrygilus dorsalis+, _Cab. Journ. f. Orn._ 1883, p. 109.

_Description._--Ashy grey; back rusty red; wing-coverts blackish;
chin, lower belly, and crissum whitish: whole length 6·5 inches,
wing 3·7, tail 2·6.

_Hab._ Tucuman.

Schulz discovered this species on the Cerro Vayo of Tucuman, near the snow-line. It reminds one of the North-American species of _Junco_ in its coloration.

69. PHRYGILUS UNICOLOR (d'Orb. et Lafr.).

(SLATY FINCH.)

+Phrygilus unicolor+, _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 31; _Cab. J. f. O._
1878, p. 195 (Cordova). +Phrygilus rusticus+, _Burm. La-Plata
Reise_, ii. p. 487 (Mendoza).

_Description._--Above nearly uniform slaty grey, below paler, whiter
on the middle of the belly; bill dark horn-colour, feet clear brown:
whole length 6·0 inches, wing 3·6, tail 2·6. _Female_ cinereous,
with blackish shaft-spots above and below; paler on the middle of
the belly.

_Hab._ Andes of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru; Chili, Bolivia, and Northern Argentina.

70. PHRYGILUS FRUTICETI (Kittl.).

(MOURNING FINCH.)

+Phrygilus fruticeti+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii, p. 487 (Cordillera
of Mendoza); _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 31; _Hudson, P. Z. S._
1872, p. 537 (Rio Negro); _Durnford, Ibis_, 1878, p. 393
(Chupat); _Döring, Exp. al Rio Negro, Zool._ p. 39 (R. Colorado,
R. Negro). +Emberiza luctuosa+, _Eyd. et Gerv. Mag. de Zool._,
1836, _Ois_, pl. 72.

_Description._--Grey, with minute black markings on the head and
neck, and broader stripes on the back; greater coverts and wings
black, the feathers edged with grey, and a band of white spots
across the coverts; tail black; beneath, throat, and upper part of
breast black, many feathers tipped with grey, giving the chest a
mottled appearance; lower part of breast and belly grey, mottled
below the chest with a few black spots; centre of abdomen and under
tail-coverts white; beak yellow; feet flesh-colour: total length 7·3
inches, wing 4·0, tail 3·2. _Female_ obscure grey and without the
black colour on the throat and chest.

_Hab._ Peru, Bolivia, Chili, and Argentine Republic.

This Finch is common on the western slopes of the Andes as far north as Peru; it is also found in the Mendoza district and throughout Patagonia. It is very abundant on the Rio Negro, especially in the immediate neighbourhood of the Carmen settlements, for, like the Chingolo and other fringilline species, it is beneficially affected by cultivation. Though not possessing any bright tints, it is a very charming bird, tuneful, elegant in form, graceful and buoyant in its motions. When approached it utters a series of low ticking sounds, and at intervals a peculiar long squealing note. The song of the male is very agreeable, and curiously resembles that of the Cachila Pipit (_Anthus correndera_). It usually sits on a twig near the ground, and at intervals soars up to a height of ten or twenty yards, and utters its song while gliding slowly downwards with depressed wings and outspread tail. It sings throughout the year; in bright weather its notes are heard all day long, but on cold, cloudy, or wet days only after sunset. In the warm season they live in pairs, and in the autumn unite in flocks of as many as two or three hundred individuals, and have a strong undulating flight.

71. PHRYGILUS CARBONARIUS (d'Orb. et Lafr.).

(BLACKISH FINCH.)

+Phrygilus carbonarius+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 487; _Döring,
Expl. al Rio Negro, Zool._ p. 38.

_Description._--Above grey, with brownish-black stripes; wings dusky
brown; tail-feathers black; below black, with minute grey marks on
the throat and bosom; sides dull grey: total length 5·5 inches, wing
2·9, tail 2·2.

_Hab._ Bolivia, Argentina, and Patagonia.

This species is said to be about one third less than _Phrygilus fruticeti_ in size, but to resemble it closely in colour. Dr. Döring found it abundant in Patagonia between the rivers Colorado and Negro, where it was seen during the cold season in flocks, associating with _Zonotrichia canicapilla_. Burmeister met with it in the Sierra de Uspallata, near Mendoza.

72. GUBERNATRIX CRISTATELLA (Vieill.).

(YELLOW CARDINAL.)

+Gubernatrix cristatella+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 482
(Paraná); _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 31; _White, P. Z. S._ 1883,
p. 38 (Cordova); _Barrows, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Cl._ viii. p. 130
(Concepcion, Entrerios).

_Description._--Above light olive-green, the back marked with a few
black stripes; four middle tail-feathers black, edged with olive,
all the rest of the tail-feathers bright yellow, tipped with dull
olive; broad superciliaries and lower part of the head bright
yellow; crown, crest, and throat velvet-black, the black extending
to the chest; beneath yellow, washed with olive-green on the breast
and sides; bill and feet black: total length 8·0 inches, wing 3·8,
tail 3·7. _Female_ less brightly coloured; white on the head where
the male is yellow; breast grey.

_Hab._ Paraguay and Argentine Republic.

The Yellow Cardinal is a graceful sprightly bird, with a strong melodious voice, and is one of our favourite cage-birds. It visits Buenos Ayres in small flocks in spring, but is a rare bird with us. There is little variety in its song, which is composed of four or five mellow notes of great power, and in tone somewhat like the whistle of the Blackbird of Europe.

73. DIUCA GRISEA (Less.).

(DIUCA FINCH.)

+Diuca vera+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 483 (Mendoza). +Diuca
grisea+, _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 31.

_Description._--Above grey, sides of head darker; wings and tail
blackish, edged with grey; lateral rectrices tipped with white;
below grey, whole chin and throat and middle of the belly white;
lower flanks and crissum stained with rufous; bill plumbeous; feet
dark hazel: whole length 6·3 inches, wing 3·3, tail 2·6. _Female_
similar, but tinged with brownish, and colours more obscure.

_Hab._ Chili and Western Argentina.

This well-known Chilian species is said by Burmeister to be not unfrequent near Mendoza and along the range of the Cordilleras.

74. DIUCA MINOR, Bp.

(LESSER DIUCA FINCH.)

+Diuca minor+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 483 (San Louis,
Cordova); _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 31; _Hudson, P. Z. S._
1872, p. 537 (Rio Negro); _Durnford, Ibis_, 1878, p. 393 (Tombo
Point, Pat.); _Döring, Exp. al Rio Negro, Zool._ p. 39 (R.
Colorado, R. Negro); _Barrows, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Cl._ viii.
p. 131 (Concepcion, Entrerios).

_Description._--Grey; head, neck, and back faintly washed with
brown; wings blackish, the feathers edged with brownish grey;
tail-feathers black, tipped with white on the inner webs; beneath,
from the bill to the chest, white; upper part of breast and sides
grey; rest of the under surface white; a bright chestnut spot on
the flanks: whole length 6·5 inches, wing 3·2, tail 2·6. _Female_
similar, but less bright than male.

_Hab._ Argentina and Patagonia.

This pretty little grey-and-white Finch is common on the Chilian side of the Andes and throughout Patagonia, and also occurs in the Mendoza district. It is a tuneful bird, lively, social, and frolicsome in disposition; in autumn and winter uniting in flocks of from fifty to three or four hundred individuals; swift of flight, and when on the wing fond of pursuing its fellows and engaging in mock battles. The song of the male is very pleasing, the voice having more depth and mellowness than is usual with the smaller fringilline singers, which, as a rule, have thin, reedy, and tremulous notes. In summer it begins singing very early, even before the faintest indication of coming daylight is visible, and at that dark silent hour the notes may be heard at a great distance and sound wonderfully sweet and impressive. During the cold season, when they live in companies, the singing-time is in the evening, when the birds are gathered in some thick-foliaged tree or bush which they have chosen for a winter roosting-place. This winter-evening song is a hurried twittering, and utterly unlike the serene note of the male bird heard on summer mornings. A little while after sunset the flock bursts into a concert, which lasts several minutes, sinking and growing louder by turns, and during which it is scarcely possible to distinguish the notes of individuals. Then follows an interval of silence, after which the singing is again renewed very suddenly and as suddenly ended. For an hour after sunset, and when all other late singers, like the _Mimus_, have long been silent, this fitful impetuous singing is continued. Close by a house on the Rio Negro, in which I spent several months, there were three very large chañar bushes, where a multitude of Diuca Finches used to roost, and they never missed singing in the evening, however cold or rainy the weather happened to be. So fond were they of this charming habit, that when I approached the bushes or stood directly under them, the alarm caused by my presence would interrupt the performance only for a few moments, and presently they would burst into song again, the birds all the time swiftly pursuing each other amongst the foliage, often within a foot of my head.

The eggs, Darwin says (Zool. Voy. 'Beagle,' iii. p. 93), are pointed, oval, pale dirty green, thickly blotched with pale dull brown, becoming confluent and entirely coloured at the broad end.

75. CATAMENIA ANALIS (d'Orb. et Lafr.).

(RED-STAINED FINCH.)

+Catamenia analis+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 488 (Mendoza);
_Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 31; _White, P. Z. S._ 1882, p. 599
(Catamarca). +Spermophila analis+, _Sharpe, Cat. B._ xii. p. 106.

_Description._--Above clear grey; wing-feathers black, edged with
grey; tail black, a large white blotch on the central part of each
feather, the two middle feathers excepted; beneath grey, palest on
the belly; under tail-coverts rufous: whole length 5·0 inches, wing
2·8, tail 2·2. _Female_, above obscure brownish buff, striped with
blackish; beneath dirty white.

_Hab._ Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina.

Burmeister met with this Finch on the sierras near Mendoza, and White obtained a single specimen in Catamarca.

76. CATAMENIA INORNATA (Lafr.).

(PLAIN-COLOURED FINCH.)

+Sporophila rufirostris+, _Landb. J. f. O._ 1865, p. 404 (Mendoza).
+Catamenia inornata+, _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 31.
+Spermophila inornata+, _Sharpe, Cat. B._ xii. p. 104.

_Description._--Above dull grey, clearer on the rump; wings and
tail blackish, wing-feathers edged with grey; beneath grey, under
tail-coverts bright chestnut; bill red; feet brown: whole length 5·0
inches, wing 2·5, tail 2·2.

_Hab._ Bolivia and N. Argentina.

Examples of this species were obtained by Weisshaupt near Mendoza in 1871.

77. ZONOTRICHIA PILEATA (Bodd.).

(CHINGOLO SONG-SPARROW.)

+Zonotrichia pileata+, _Scl. et Salv. P. Z. S._ 1868, p. 139, _iid.
Nomencl._ p. 31; _Salvin, Ibis_, 1880, p. 355 (Salta); _Gibson,
Ibis_, 1880, p. 28 (Buenos Ayres); _White, P. Z. S._ 1882, p. 600
(Buenos Ayres); _Barrows, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Cl._ viii. p. 131
(Concepcion). +Zonotrichia matutina+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii.
p. 486.

_Description._--Above dusky grey, striped with blackish brown; the
top of the head from the bill to the nape grey; a whitish stripe
from the eye to the nape; between the stripe and the grey on the
crown black; a narrow chestnut ring round the neck, widening to a
large patch on the sides of the chest, the patch bordered with black
on its lower part; beneath, throat white; breast and belly ashy
white; bill and feet light horn-colour: whole length 5·7 inches,
wing 2·8, tail 2·2. _Female_ similar, but duller in colour and a
trifle smaller.

_Hab._ Central and South America.

The common, familiar, favourite Sparrow over a large portion of the South-American continent is the "_Chingolo_." Darwin says that "it prefers inhabited places, but has not attained the air of domestication of the English Sparrow, which bird in habits and general appearance it resembles." As it breeds in the fields on the ground, it can never be equally familiar with man, but in appearance it is like a refined copy of the burly English Sparrow--more delicately tinted, the throat being chestnut instead of black; the head smaller and better proportioned, and with the added distinction of a crest, which it lowers and elevates at all angles to express the various feelings affecting its busy little mind.

On the treeless desert pampas the Chingolo is rarely seen, but wherever man builds a house and plants a tree there it comes to keep him company, while in cultivated and thickly settled districts it is excessively abundant, and about Buenos Ayres it literally swarms in the fields and plantations. They are not, strictly speaking, gregarious, but where food attracts them, or the shelter of a hedge on a cold windy day, thousands are frequently seen congregated in one place; when disturbed, however, these accidental flocks immediately break up, the birds scattering abroad in different directions.

The Chingolo is a very constant singer, his song beginning with the dawn of day in spring, and continuing until evening; it is very short, being composed of a chipping prelude and four long notes, three uttered in a clear thin voice, the last a trill. This song is repeated at brief intervals, as the bird sits motionless, perched on the disc of a thistle-flower, the summit of a stalk, or other elevation; and where the Chingolos are very abundant, the whole air, on a bright spring morning, is alive with their delicate melody; only one must pause and listen before he is aware of it, otherwise it will escape him, owing to its thin ethereal character, the multitudinous notes not mingling but floating away, as it were, detached and scattered, mere gossamer webs of sound that very faintly impress the sense. They also sing frequently at night, and in that dark silent time their little melody sounds strangely sweet and expressive. The song varies greatly in different districts; thus, in Bahia Blanca it is without the long trill at the end, and in other localities I have found it vary in other ways.

The Chingolos pair about the end of September, and at that time their battles are frequent, as they are very pugnacious. The nest is made under a thistle or tuft of grass, in a depression in the soil, so that the top of the nest is on a level with the surface of the ground. The nest is mostly made and lined with horse-hair, the eggs four or five, pale blue, and thickly spotted with dull brown. Sometimes, though very rarely, a nest is found in a bush or on a stump several feet above the ground. Two broods are reared in the season, the first in October, the second in February or March. I have known these birds to breed in April and May, and these very late nests escape the infliction of parasitical eggs. When the nest is approached or taken, the Chingolos utter no sound, but sit in dumb anxiety, with tail expanded and drooping wings.

78. ZONOTRICHIA CANICAPILLA, Gould.

(PATAGONIAN SONG-SPARROW.)

+Zonotrichia canicapilla+, _Durnford, Ibis_, 1877, p. 33 (Chupat), et
1878, p. 393 (Centr. Patag.); _Sclater, Ibis_, 1877, p. 46, pl.
1. fig. 1; _Döring, Exp. al Rio Negro, Zool._ p. 39 (R. Colorado,
R. Negro).

_Description._--Head grey, with narrow white superciliaries; in
other respects like _Zonotrichia pileata_: total length 6·3 inches,
wing 3·2, tail 2·6.

_Hab._ Patagonia.

Durnford found this species common and abundant on the Chupat River and in the interior of Patagonia. It has a pretty song, and sings in the evening and during the night when the moon is shining. It nests among coarse grass and herbage, making an unpretending structure of the former material, which is lined with fibres. It lays four eggs, pale green, thickly striated with light reddish-brown spots running into each other, and most numerous at the large end.

79. ZONOTRICHIA STRIGICEPS, Gould.

(STRIPE-HEADED SONG-SPARROW.)

+Zonotrichia strigiceps+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 486 (Paraná,
Santa Fé); _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 31; _Scl. Ibis_, 1877, p.
47, pl. 1. fig. 2.

_Description._--Above light brownish grey, striped with black;
centre of crown ash-grey, under the grey a broad rufous stripe,
beneath which is a narrow grey superciliary stripe; behind the eye
a rufous mark; beneath, throat white, breast pale grey; sides and
belly yellowish grey; middle of belly white: whole length 6·2
inches, wing 2·6, tail 2·6.

_Hab._ Argentina and Patagonia.

80. ZONOTRICHIA HYPOCHONDRIA (d'Orb. et Lafr.).

(RED-FLANKED SONG-SPARROW.)

+Emberiza hypochondria+, _d'Orb. Voy., Ois._ p. 361, t. 45. fig. 1.
+Zonotrichia hypochondria+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 486
(Mendoza).

_Description._--Brownish grey, head darker; superciliaries white;
wings brownish black, edged with greyish rufous; tail brownish
black, four external pairs of rectrices with a long white mark on
the inner web, the outer pair with the outer web also margined with
white; beneath, throat and neck white; sides of head, mystacal line,
neck and breast-band plumbeous; belly dirty white; flanks chestnut:
whole length 6·0 inches, wing 2·8, tail 2·0.

_Hab._ Bolivia and Western Argentina.

Prof. Burmeister, who met with this species near Mendoza, says it is a true _Zonotrichia_, and not a _Poospiza_, as sometimes considered.

81. COTURNICULUS PERUANUS (Bp.).

(YELLOW-SHOULDERED SONG-SPARROW.)

+Coturniculus manimbe+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 486 (Paraná);
_White, P. Z. S._ 1882, p. 600 (Corrientes); _Döring, Exp. al Rio
Negro, Zool._ p. 40 (R. Colorado); _Barrows, Bull. Nutt. Orn.
Cl._ viii. p. 131 (Concepcion). +Coturniculus peruanus+, _Scl. et
Salv. Nomencl._ p. 32.

_Description._--Above grey, mottled with rufous-brown; wing-feathers
black, edged with rufous; tail-feathers black, edged with dull grey;
a patch between the bill and eye and the shoulders bright yellow;
beneath, throat whitish; breast and belly and sides dull grey, white
on the middle of the belly; bill and feet horn-colour: whole length
4·9 inches, wing 2·4, tail 1·9. _Female_ similar, but less bright,
the yellow spot on the head scarcely perceptible.

_Hab._ Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina.

The prevailing colour of this little field-sparrow is grey, marked and mixed with fuscous and brown; the shoulder and space between the beak and eye are yellow. It is a common species in the northern portion of the Argentine country, and appears now to be gradually extending its range southwards. Many years ago I first noticed it on the pampas north of Buenos Ayres; afterwards I found it in the immediate neighbourhood of that city; then it began to spread over the plains to the south, appearing every spring in greater numbers, but it is still far from common. It has, I fancy, a limited migration, as I could never find one in winter. It is solitary, and frequents open plains and fields; lives on the ground, and never alights on a tree. The male has a favourite perch, a tall weed or post, where he spends a great deal of his time, repeating his song at intervals of half a minute; it is short and pleasing, and has a slight resemblance to the song of the Yellow-Hammer, but is more delicate and melodious. When approached, the bird flies down and conceals itself in the grass.

82. SALTATRICULA MULTICOLOR, Burm.

(MANY-COLOURED GROUND-FINCH.)

[Plate V.]

+Saltatricula multicolor+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 481
(Paraná); _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 32; _Salvin, Ibis_, 1880,
p. 355 (Salta); _White, P. Z. S._ 1882, p. 600 (Catamarca).

_Description._--Above grey, faintly tinged with olivaceous on the
head, neck, and back; a short white stripe behind the eye; beneath
the stripe and lower part of neck velvet-black; wings blackish;
tail-feathers black, tipped with white; beneath, throat white,
breast grey; sides and belly pale chestnut; middle of belly and
under tail-coverts white; bill and feet horn-colour: whole length
6·6 inches, wing 2·9, tail 3·0. _Female_ similar, but not so bright.

_Hab._ North and Western Argentina.

To Dr. Burmeister we owe the discovery of this brilliant Finch, as of so many other Argentine species. He met with it at Paraná, in the bushy lands east of the city, and obtained five specimens. White found it near Andalgala in Catamarca, on trees, feeding on the insects in the flowers and on seeds; and Durnford collected specimens near Salta.

Examples of this species were also obtained by Weisshaupt near Mendoza (_cf._ Salvin, Ibis, 1880, p. 355).

83. EMBERNAGRA PLATENSIS (Gm.).

(RED-BILLED GROUND-FINCH.)

+Embernagra platensis+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 485 (Paraná);
_Scl. et Salv. P. Z. S._ 1868, p. 140 (Buenos Ayres), 1872, p.
548 (Rio Negro), _iid. Nomencl._ p. 32; _Durnford, Ibis_, 1877,
p. 172 (Buenos Ayres); _White, P. Z. S._ 1882, p. 600 (Buenos
Ayres, Corrientes); _Döring, Exp. al Rio Negro, Zool._ p. 40 (R.
Colorado, R. Negro); _Barrows, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Cl._ viii. p. 132
(Concepcion, Entrerios).