BIRDS OF ARGENTINA, PARAGUAY, URUGUAY, AND CHILE 235 



rapidly about, perhaps to prevent the insects from climbing into its 

 feathers. 



XIPHOCOLAPTES MAJOR MAJOR (Vieillot) 



Dendrocopus major Vibzillot, Nouv. Diet. Hist. Nat., vol. 26, 1818, p. 118. 

 (Paraguay.) 



Individuals of this species were seen twice near Las Palmas, 

 Chaco, during the first part of July, 1920, but none were collected 

 until I arrived at the Riacho Pilaga, Formosa. Two secured there, 

 on August 18, 1920, were the only ones seen. At Kilometer 80, west 

 of Puerto Pinasco, Paraguay, two were taken on September 15 and 

 another on September 17. The skins preserved, while somewhat 

 variable in color, have the abdomen distinctly barred so that they 

 show no approach to X. m. castaneus, described by Ridgway from 

 Bolivia, in which the abdomen is said to be plain. A skin from the 

 interior of Formosa is decidedly darker above than three from 

 Paraguay. One of the latter, however, is much deeper in color be- 

 low than any of the others, so that variation in shade of brown seems 

 to be an individual character. 



In accordance with Azara's observations I did not find the present 

 species common, though it was recorded on several occasions. The 

 birds were found in or near the heavier timber in the Chaco, and 

 from my limited records seem to feed to a considerable extent on the 

 ground, Avhere the groves were fairly open and the vegetation below 

 not too dense. Often they were restricted in such haunts to the 

 borders of trails or cattle paths. When flushed they flew up to 

 cling to a tree trunk sometimes near the ground and again among 

 the higher branches where their attitude and actions were similar 

 in a way to those of a woodpecker. When clinging in this fashion 

 the feet usually were placed wide apart, and the bird progressed in 

 a series of long hitches, with the head and neck erect. They seemed 

 to range in pairs, though none of those taken were breeding. One 

 that I wounded called harshly, while its mate appeared a few feet 

 away to call kway kivay in an inquiring tone. The birds are heavily 

 muscled and in form are robust. Many of the tendons in the muscles 

 of the lower leg are more or less ossified, so that in preparing skins 

 it is noticeably difficult to cut them. 



An adult male, taken September 17, had the tip of the bill dark 

 neutral gray, shading on median portion of maxilla to light-grayish 

 olive ; rest of maxilla and mandible light neutral gray ; iris vinaceous 

 rufous ; tarsus and toes between deep and dark olive gray. 



Near Puerto Pinasco those who spoke the Guarani tongue called 

 this species uravo-vahi. 



