376 BULLETIISr 133, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



dozen were found near Formosa, Formosa, August 24; two were re- 

 corded at Puerto Pinasco, Paraguay, September 3; and at Laguna 

 Wall, 200 kilometers west of Puerto Pinasco, 20 were found on Sep- 

 tember 25. At Lavalle, Buenos Aires, November 2, a boy brought 

 me a male, too badly shot to preserve. The birds inhabited j>astures, 

 wet meadows, or recently burned stubble, where they worked about 

 in as inconspicuous a manner as possible. As a crouching attitude 

 usually concealed the brilliant red of the breast they were difficult 

 to make out. When startled they rose with uncertain, undulating 

 flight like that of pipits, and, though they might alight for a brief 

 space in bushes, soon dropped to the ground. As the primaries are 

 little longer than the secondaries, and the tail is short, they present 

 a curious appearance on the wing. After alighting in the grass the 

 wings are flitted several times, and as the bird walks about the tail 

 is frequently opened and shut in a nervous manner. Their call note 

 is a low chuck. As many as 20 were encountered in one scattered 

 flock. 



PSEUDOLEISTES GUIRAHURO (Vieillot) 



Agelaius guiraliuro Vieillot, Nouv. Diet. Hist. Nat., vol. 34, 1819, p. 545. 

 (Paraguay and Rio de la Plata.) 



The present species, distinguished by its yellow rump, is noticeably 

 more yellow below than virescens when seen in the field. Near Laz- 

 cano, Uruguay, February 5, 1921, I saw a flock of six feeding on the 

 ground in an open pasture, where I was not able to approach within 

 gunshot. Near Rio Negro, Uruguay, on February 14, I collected an 

 adult male from two found in a stretch of open camp dotted with 

 bushes. From my limited experience, P. guirahuro seemed similar 

 in habits and general appearance to virescens, but its calls appeared 

 clearer and louder and the song stronger. The birds may have been 

 breeding near Rio Negro, as they rested in low tree tops and scolded 

 me with twitching tails. The one taken is in worn plumage and 

 has begun to molt the wing coverts. 



PSEUDOLEISTES VIRESCENS (Vieillot) 



Agelaius virescens, Vieillot, Nouv. Diet. Hist. Nat., vol. 34, 1S19, p. 543. 

 (Paraguay and Buenos Aires.) 



Ps&udoleistes virescens, marked from its congener guirahuro by 

 its plain back and the restriction of yellow on the flanks, was en- 

 countered in greater abundance than in case of the related species. 

 It was seen during July, 1920, at Las Palmas, Chaco, but was not 

 collected until I reached Lavalle, Buenos Aires. The species was 

 common here from October 23 to November 15, and adult males were 

 collected October 23, November 6 and 13. In Uruguay the bird was 

 recorded at San Vicente, January 24 to February 2; Lazcano, Feb- 



