BIRDS OF ARGENTINA, PARAGUAY, URUGUAY, AND CHILE 67 



mens from South America available. The two birds taken have the 

 following measurements: Male, wing, 370; tail, 105; culmen, 172; 

 tarsus, 112; female, wing, 360; tail, 97; clumen, 163, tarsus, 105 mm. 



Family PHOENICOPTERIDAE 



PHOENICOPTERUS CHILENSIS Molina 



Phaenicoptenis Chilensis Molina, Sagg. Stor. Nat. Chili, 1782, p. 242. 

 (Chile.) 



In suitable localities in the Province of Buenos Aires the flamingo is 

 fairly common, incongruous, though beautiful, figures in the land- 

 scape to one accustomed to think of them as birds of more tropical 

 regions. At the mouth of the Rio Ajo near Lavalle on November 15, 

 1920, a dozen beat heavily past me in a strong wind, barely out of 

 gun range, while on the following day 50 in company were seen feed- 

 ing in a canal. Near Carhue, in southwestern Buenos Aires, flamingos 

 were observed frequently from December 15 to 18. A form of brine 

 shrimp (genus Artemia) swarmed in the heavily alkaline waters of 

 Lake Epiquen and may have formed the food of the great birds, as 

 the water was too heavily impregnated with salts to permit the oc- 

 currence of mollusks. At any rate flamingos occurred there in lines 

 or loose flocks, never separated far from one another, often in water 

 nearly to their bodies. While some fed by immersing their heads, 

 others rested quietly or preened their feathers with bills awkwardly 

 developed for such a use. As I approached they walked slowly a 

 little way and then extended their wings, raised the long legs sud- 

 denly, and started away, striking the water with alternating strokes 

 of their webbed feet in a clearly audible patter until they had 

 gained sufficient momentum to rise in the air. Occasionally they 

 gave low, honking calls. 



On January 31, 1921, several bands were seen at the Laguna Cas- 

 tillos near San Vicente, Rocha, Uruguay, where they ranged with 

 coscorobas and black-necked swans, a beautiful trio whose pleasantly 

 contrasting colors, visible for a long distances, linger clearly in 

 memory. 



Family ANHIMIDAE 



CHAUNA TORQUATA (Oken) 



Chaja torqtiata Oken, Lehrb. Naturg., Th. 3, Zool., Abth. 2, 1816, p. 639. 

 (Paraguay and La Plata."') 



Brabourne and Chubb, when they proposed °° the name Ghauna 

 salvadorii for the crested screamer, to replace Palmnedea cristata 



<9 In tbe original the type locality is given as " Paragui, um La Plata," based ap- 

 parently on Azara, who says " habita no solo el Paraguay, sino tambien las dos bandas 

 del rfo de la Plata." Since La Plata was separated from Paraguay as early as 1620 

 it must be supposed that Oken meant Paraguay and La Plata, not Paraguay near La 

 Plata as a literal translation of the German would read. 



™ Birds of South America, vol. 1, December, 1912, p. 53. 



