18 BULLETIN 133, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Others may be added as the southern distribution of birds in 

 Patagonia becomes better known. In this zone Vultur gryphus 

 finds its lowest point of regular occurrence. A considerable number 

 of species range in both Upper Austral and Transition Zones. 



TEMPERATE ZONK 



As field work did not carry me above the Upper Austral Zone, 

 I am dependent on the accounts of other travelers for information 

 on this higher zone. A statement regarding the Temperate Zone 

 as it is found in Avestern Patagonia is based mainly on Peters' re- 

 marks concerning his Zone 3, which he says covers the east Andean 

 slopes in western Rio Negro and is characterized by a temperate 

 forest with normal rainfall. Part, at least, of the forest of south- 

 ern Chile, where precipitation is heavy, must belong here, but the 

 southern limit of this zone is uncertain. In passing north along 

 the Andes, tree growth becomes scanty a short distance north of 

 Lago Nahuel Huapi, and in w^estern Nfeuquen entirely disappears. 

 Beyond, through the length of Argentina, the higher mountain 

 slopes are arid and bare with scant vegetation, which is restricted 

 mainly to the valley floors and the gentler inclines above. The 

 bolder mountain masses show bare rock exposures, in the main 

 too young to have weathered into permanent soil. Zonal delimi- 

 tation under these conditions is difficult. In Eio Negro Peters 

 placed the upper limit of his Zone 3 at about 1,000 meters. The 

 dry, arid slopes to the northward have forced zonal lines rather 

 abruptly upward as in crossing on the trans- Andean railroad from 

 Mendoza it appeared to me that Temperate Zone began at the Rio 

 Tupungato at about 2,800 meters' altitude. 



The following birds include mainly species of the southern 

 forested region. The list may be expanded by including some of 

 the water birds peculiar to the Magellanic region. 



Attagis gayi gayi. 

 Chloroenas araucana. 

 Microsittace ferruginca. 

 St7'ix rufipes. 

 Ipocrantor magellaniciis. 

 Cinclodes patagoiiicus rupestris. 

 Sylviorthorhynchus desmurii. 

 Pygarrhichas alho-gularis. 



Scytalopus magellanicus. 

 Scelorchilus ruhccula. 

 Ftei-optochos tarnii. 

 Agriornis livida fort is. 

 Lichenops perspicillata andina. 

 Melanodera mclanodera. 

 Melanodera xanthogratnnia. 



Above the Temperate Zone is a great Paramo Zone extending 

 to the line of perpetual snoAvs on the mountains, a cold, bleak region 

 with little bird life, at present insufficiently known, that will be dis- 

 missed at this place with bare mention. 



