160 Mr. H. Durnford^s Notes from the 



Sometimes the nest is placed iu the fork of a tree, some- 

 times in a loAv bush about three feet from the ground. 

 Cyanotis azarat was pretty common at Punta Lara on July 

 8th_, in the extensive tract of marsh-land which lies about 

 thirty miles from Buenos Ayres, to the south-east ; at Bel- 

 grano I have not yet seen it. It is very Tit-like in its move- 

 ments, diligently hunting over every little clump of reeds. 

 The male and female are apparently alike. Megarhynchus 

 pitanyua (called here " Bien te veo " (well do I see you) from 

 its note) is common everywhere, being a conspicuous bird. 

 It often leaves its post of observation to chase some large 

 dragonfly or other insect, returning many times to its perch. 

 On October 3rd I found a deserted nest containing a broken 

 egg ; it was an untidy structure, made of bits of rags, wool, 

 feathers, and hair. On October 6th I found another, which the 

 birds were still building. The first Fyrocephalus rubineus I 

 saw was on September 20th; they are now (15th October) 

 abundant everywhere at Belgrano, but are not yet nesting. 

 They have a habit of leaving the twig or bough on which 

 they perch and making a forage for insects, just as our com- 

 mon Flycatcher does at home ; they hover in the air, too, for 

 many seconds together. Milvulus tyranniis, the Tijereta or 

 Scissor-bird, I first saw on October 9th at Belgrano. At 

 Flores it was first seen on October 16th ; now it is common, 

 but has not yet commenced nesting. 



DENDROCOLAPTIDiE. 



Furnarius rufus, the " Hornero," or Oven-bird, is very com- 

 mon here. On August 1 st I watched a pair repairing their 

 nest ; but the eggs seem to be laid much later in the year ; for 

 on October 9th I examined another empty nest, and a friend 

 visited a nest without eggs on the 13th. The bird utters a 

 loud piping note whenever the vicinity of its nest is invaded. 

 Of Synallaxis I have noticed several species, but have not yet 

 made them out sufficiently to say what they are. One species 

 makes, for its size, an enormous nest ; and this, placed in a tree 

 at various heights from the ground, is constructed of sticks and 

 lined with hair and wool, the aperture being near the top. 



