Neighbourhood of Butnos Ayres. 165 



blotches of dark umber-brown and black distributed over the 

 whole egg. Gambetta flavipes are common, and on October 

 10th were still in flocks ; so that they cannot be nesting, 

 though the time must be near. 



Larid^. 

 A Tern I saw in March on Flores Island, and again in May 

 on the shores of the La Plata, near Monte Video, I believe 

 to have been Sterna trudeaui ; but of this I am not certain. 

 I saw a flock of Sterna superciliaris during a very stormy day 

 in May, beating against the wind close inshore, near the 

 custom-house at Monte Video ; I have no doubt about the 

 species, which appears on the wing to be a little larger than 

 S. minuta. Of Gulls, Larus dominicanus is pretty common ; 

 and on September 10th I shot one in full summer plumage. 

 This Gull goes far inland; for in September I found it com- 

 mon about 100 miles south of Buenos Ayres, in the campo, 

 where it feeds upon dead sheep, horses, &c. Larus maculi- 

 pennis is the commonest species here ; they commence as- 

 suming their spring dress about the middle of July ; they 

 feed on worms and insects, and also on carrion. This bird 

 much resembles our L. ridibundus in its actions and flight 

 and voice. I believe it nests in the open campo, some distance 

 to the south of Buenos Ayres ; there are eggs in the mu- 

 seum from this neighbourhood which resemble those of L. 

 ridibundus, except that they are larger. I have not as yet, 

 so far as I am aware, seen L. cirrhocephalus. 



PoDlCIPITIDvE. 



^chmophorus major I have observed frequently in Banda 

 Oriental, as well as near Buenos Ayres. I have also seen 

 Tachybaptus dominicus near Monte Video in full summer 

 plumage ; in August and September I saw it here on small 

 streams, but during these months always in pairs. 



TlNAMID^. 



Nothura maculosa is abundant wherever there is cover ; a 

 friend of mine found a nest with one egg as early as July. 



