BIRDS OF ARGENTINA, PARAGUAY, URUGUAY, AND CHILE 165 



the species seemed rare in the Argentine Chaeo, perhaps because of 

 a lack of suitable range for it, as it was not found again until I 

 reached Kilometer 80, west of Puerto Pinasco, Paraguay, Avhere it 

 was recorded in small numbers about an open lagoon from Septem- 

 ber 6 to 21. A pair was taken September 6, and I noted that the 

 breeding season was near. Two were seen on the shore of a small 

 pond near Lavalle, Buenos Aires, November 13. The species was 

 common along the sandy beaches on the coast of southern Uruguay, 

 and in January was nesting. A number were recorded between Mon- 

 tevideo and Carrasco, January 9, 1921, and east of Carrasco, Jan- 

 uary 16. Others w^ere seen at La Paloma in the Department of 

 Rocha, January 23. At this season all seemed to have well-grown 

 young but still showed much anxiety as I passed, and forced the 

 young to hide. The parents circled around me with low calls, their 

 light bodies often difficult to distinguish against the sky in the 

 brilliantly reflected light of the sun. The birds were found on the 

 outer beaches or through the bare dunes a short distance inland, 

 wdiere they ran about in scattered companies. The alarm note was 

 a sharp, metallic tsee and occasionally they uttered a slightly rolling 

 tur-r-r. In winter they were more silent and only uttered a low 

 whistled chajy or cherp as they rose and darted rapidly away. Near 

 Rio Negro, Uruguay, on February 18, while crossing an area of 

 high prairie where the soil was water-soaked from recent rains, I 

 found about 20 of these plover, both adult and young, and judged 

 that they had forsaken their coastal breeding grounds to wander 

 inland as the young were fully grown. All Avere very wild. On 

 March 3 I saAv two near Guamini on the open shore of the Laguna 

 del Monte. Two were recorded March 22 along the Rio Tunuyan at 

 Tunuyan, Mendoza, and on March 25, 26, and 28 I found several 

 in company with other shore birds along a small, muddy arroyo near 

 some extensive cienagas. The bed of this channel was sunk about 4 

 meters below the surrounding level and was barely 30 meters wide, 

 a greatly restricted area for these birds when the open areas that 

 they frequent ordinarily are considered. A female was taken here 

 March 25. At Concon, Chile, April 25, about 25 were found on a 

 sandy beach and when flushed flew off in close flock formation. 



In general habits this species suggests the snowy plover, but sel- 

 dom runs for such long distances as is the habit of that species. 



CHARADRIUS FALKLANDICUS Latham 



Charadritis falklandiciis Latham Index Orn., vol. 2, 1790, p. 747. (Falk- 

 land Islands.) 



The Falkland plover is easily distinguished in the field from com- 

 panion species by the two distinct bands on the breast. One was 

 seen on the shore of the Rio de la Plata near Berazategiii, Buenos 

 54207—26 12 



