Neighbourhood of Buenos Ayres. 161 



Inside there are two rooms as it were, a passage leading from 

 one to the other ; in the lower the eggs are laid, the upper 

 one, it is supposed, being used as a roosting-placeallthe year 

 round. Placellodomus frontalis is not at all rare, frequenting 

 damp places ; I have found and identified three nests, all of 

 which were placed at the ends of bov;ghs about eight feet from 

 the ground, being always of an oblong shape, never so round 

 as that of the next species. The nest consists of sticks and 

 twigs, lined with hair, and sometimes wool ; the full com- 

 plement of eggs is four. This species has very skulking habits. 

 Placellodomus ruber is also common in marshy ground ; 

 its nest is similar to that of the last-mentioned species, and 

 constructed of the same materials, but is rounder in shape. 

 The bird is not easy to identify, as when disturbed it hides 

 itself amongst thick reeds or bushes. The eggs are white, 

 the full complement being four or five. They are similar to 

 those of P. frontalis, but rather larger. 



Strigid^. 

 The Short-eared Owl {Otus brachyotus) is common in open 

 lands, but is not often seen here ; it flies towards dark, and 

 feeds on beetles. The Burrowing-Owl {Pholeopiynx cunicu- 

 laria) is abundant, building in holes in the ground ; it is an 

 Owl of dim'nal habits, being fond of sitting on a thistle or 

 clod of earth, whence it flies to seize insects on the wing. 

 Its flight is undulatory, and performed by rapid strokes of the 

 wings. From May to September this bird was common near 

 here ; after that they appear to have betaken themselves to 

 the campo to build in the Biscacha- and Armadillo-holes, 

 which there abound. 



FaLCONIDjE. 



Two or three pairs of Buteo pterocles frequent a wood near 

 Chirilcay, about 100 miles from Buenos Ayres; the male is 

 slightly smaller than the female. The " Chimango ■" {Milvago 

 chimango) is very common, frequenting the open campos in 

 preference to the enclosed country. Polyborus tharus (the 

 " Carrancha ") is common, especially in marshy places ; it 

 feeds indiscriminately on dead fish, lizards, carcasses of 



