BIRDS OF ARGENTINA, PARAGUAY, URUGUAY, AND CHILE 65 



6\ Abdomen black; breast more or less rufescent; greater wing coverts 

 grayish white ; culmen longer, 128 mm. or more in length__ melanopis. 



6*. Upper portion of abdomen white; breast white with very faint rufescent 

 tinge; greater wing coverts gray; culmen shorter, less than 125 mm. 

 in length branickii. 



PLEGADIS GUARAUNA (Linnaeus) 



Scolopax guarauna Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 12, vol. 1, 1766, p. 242. 

 (Brazil.) 



The white-faced glossy ibis was irregularly distributed through- 

 out regions of open marshes. Near Berazatequi, Buenos Aires, June 

 29, 1920, of two flocks seen, one contained about 40 birds. An im- 

 mature individual that had been killed by a hunter was examined. 

 One was seen near Las Palmas, Chaco, on July 31, and at Formosa, 

 Formosa, on August 23, a flock of 40 passed south above the Rio 

 Paraguay. Near Lavalle, Buenos Aires, on October 22, six were 

 noted in a pasture among sheep. A female taken November 2, 

 though in immature plumage, showed some development of the ova- 

 ries. At Santo Domingo, Buenos Aires, November 16, nearly 1,000 

 were scattered through flooded fields. One was observed near Car ■ 

 hue in western Buenos Aires on December 21. At the Laguna Cas- 

 tillos below San Vicente, Uruguay, the birds were fairly common 

 on January 31, but were not observed elsewhere in that country. 

 On March 2, I noted many from the train between the stations of 

 Canuelas and 25 de Mayo, Province of Buenos Aires, and on March 

 4 saw 50 near Guamini. x\. small flock fed in a marshy meadow near 

 Tunuyan, Mendoza, on March 27. 



Scanty material available seems to indicate that birds from south- 

 ern South America may average smaller than those from western 

 United States. The female secured near Lavalle, Buenos Aires, 

 measures as follows: Wing, 235; tail, 83; culmen 105.5; tarsus, 79 

 mm. It would seem that guarauna is entitled to specific rank as 

 distinguished from the true glossy ibis. In a fair series from the 

 western United States and southward all adults possess a distinct 

 white line on the forehead and at times on the sides of the head 

 behind the bill, a mark that is definitely lacking in the other species, 

 both from the New World and from the Eastern Hemisphere. 



Family PLATALEIDAE 



AJAIA AJAJA (Linnaeus) 



Platalea ajaja Linnaeus, Syst. Nat, ed. 10, vol. 1, 1758, p. 140. (Brazil.) 



A roseate spoonbill was seen at intervals about a lagoon at the Kilo- 

 meter 80 ranch west of Puerto Pinasco, Paraguay, during September, 

 1920, but was so shy that it flew away to other lakes whenever men 



