BIRDS OF ARGENTINA, PARAGUAY, URUGUAY, AND CHILE 279 

 PHACELLODOMUS RUBER RUBER (Vieillot) 



Furnarius ruber ViEaxLOT, Nouv. Diet. Hist. Nat., vol. 12, 1817, p. 118. 

 ( Paragua.y. ) 



This species was recorded at Eesistencia, Chaco, on July 8, 1920, 

 -when two were seen, and an adult male was taken, at the Riacho 

 Pilaga, Formosa, August 16, when an adult female was secured, at 

 Formosa, Formosa, where an adult male was taken August 23, and 

 others seen on the day following, and at Puerto Pinasco, Paraguay, 

 on September 3. The three specimens taken do not differ appreciably 

 from one another in color. Cherrie ''^ has described a northern form 

 (that I have not seen) as P. r. ruhicula on the basis of more rufous 

 coloration on the dorsal surface. 



These birds were found in swamps grown with saw grass, and in 

 the cat-tails and other vegetation that bordered lagoons, particularly 

 in the areas known as palmares, where low palms grew in scattered 

 groves over marshy ground. They were frequently shy, especially 

 when feeding in dense marsh vegetation from which they refused 

 to be called by unusual noises. In fact, they were more often seen 

 when I remained perfectly quiet and waited for them to dart out 

 into sight for a few seconds. When the wind was quiet their noisy 

 rustling among the dead cat-tail stalks was plainly audible though 

 the birds themselves were entirely hidden. Rarely one came out for 

 a few seconds with a sharp, scolding check check, and jerked ner- 

 vously up and down on its perch with the body inclined well forward. 

 The light eyes showed plainly when the birds were not too far 

 distant. Where they were encountered amid palms they often came 

 up into the palm tops, where on cool mornings they rested in the 

 sun to preen their plumage. 



An adult male, taken August 23, had the maxilla and extreme tip 

 of the mandible dull sooty black; rest of mandible dawn gray; iris 

 primuline yellow, shading to mustard yellow at outer margin ; tarsus 

 and toes storm gray. Another male, shot July 8, had the iris apricot 

 orange. 



PHACELLODOMUS RUFIFRONS SINCIPITAUS Cabanis 



Phacellodomus sincijntalis Cabanis, Journ. fiir Ornitli., 1883, p. 109. (Tucu- 

 man, Tucuman.) 



An immature female taken near Tapia, Tucuman, on April 12, 

 1921, differs from P. r. rufifrons in darker coloration on the dorsal 

 surface. The specimen mentioned was shot from a small flock in 

 dense brush where the birds remained in close concealment. 



«Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. 35, May 20, 1916, p. 186. 



