126 BULLETIN 133^ UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



ARAMIDES YPECAHA (Viellot) 



Rallus ypecaha Vieillot, Nouv. Diet. His. Nat., vol. 28, 1819, p. 568. 

 (Paraguay.) 



The ypecaha, as this large wood rail is loiown, was fairly common 

 about the saw-grass swamps in the Chaco where its strange notes, 

 that suggested the combination wheeze and clank of a rusty windmill 

 pump, came morning and evening in one of the strangest bird con- 

 certs that I have ever heard. Occasionally during the day one ran 

 out through the rank growth to pause with twitching tail to look 

 from the crest of some low bank before it disappeared over the rise 

 and was lost in heavy cover beyond. At the Riacho Pilaga one 

 evening a dog that had accompanied me while I set some traps, 

 plunged into a swamp and immediately two wood rails came flying 

 swiftly out and passed rapidly to safer cover. One morning at day- 

 break, while crossing from Lazcano to the Rio Cebollati in southern 

 Uruguay, I saw two walking about with heads erect and twitching 

 tails in an open pasture far from any cover, but on no other occa- 

 sion were they observed save as they crossed ahead of me from one 

 grass covert to another. 



The only specimen taken was a female shot at Lazcano, Uruguay, 

 on February 7, 1921. The species was recorded at the following 

 points: Las Palmas, Chaco, July 30, 1920 (heard daily during my 

 stay here, but not recognized during the first few days) ; Riacho 

 Pilaga, Formosa, August 13 to 20; Puerto Pinasco, Paraguay, Sep- 

 tember 1 and 3 ; Lavalle, Buenos Aires, November 2 and 9 ; Lazcano, 

 Urugauy, February 7 to 9. 



The species was kept often in captivity and was among the native 

 birds offered for sale in the bird stores in the cities. 



Family ARAMIDAE 



ARAMUS SCOLOPACEUS CARAU Vieiilot 



Aramus carau Vieuxot, Nouv. Diet. Hist. Nat., vol. 8, 1817, p. 300. 

 (Paraguay.) 



In the northern portion of the Chaco the limpkin, known by the 

 appelation of carau, was fairly common in localities remote from 

 habitation. 



In Formosa the species was observed from the train on August 5, 

 1920, and again on August 21, in passing between the town of For- 

 mosa and the station in the interior at Kilometer 182. At times 40 

 or 50 were congregated on suitable marshes. Limpkins were noted 

 at the lagoon at Kilometer 110, west of Puerto Pinasco on September 

 23, and a male was taken. Others were seen at Kilometer 200 on the 

 following day. On September 30 I found two in flooded forest on 

 the eastern bank of the Rio Paraguay opposite Puerto Pinasco. 



