Cape San Antonio , Buenos Ay res. 419 



would form a fair load for a cart. The largest example of 

 this kind that I know of is built among the ^' durasnillos ^^ 

 in one of our swamps ; it rises five or six feet above the sur- 

 face of the water, is nearly as broad at the base, while at the 

 top it has the usual diameter of from two to three feet. The 

 component materials are dead sticks (of no great size), dry 

 thistle-stalks, and various similar rubbish, interspersed with 

 pieces of cowhide and sheepskin, fragments of untanned 

 saddle-housings, lassos, lariats, &c., and the bones and desic- 

 cated remains of birds and the smaller quadrupeds. The 

 cavity for the eggs is sometimes cup-shaped, but more often 

 shallow, and is generally thickly quilted and felted with dry 

 grasses, wood, and hair. The female sits close, unless the 

 passer-by should be on foot, when she immediately suspects 

 felonious intentions and leaves the nest. Curiously enough, 

 in the event of the nest being threatened by any such marauder 

 as myself, the sitting bird is very shortly joined by its mate, 

 though the latter was previously nowhere to be seen, the first 

 intimation of its approach being a continued croaking as it 

 comes rapidly along, close to the ground, and in a regular 

 bee-line. Hideous then is their united bad language, as they 

 throw back their heads and croak savagely. Once one of 

 the two birds made a dash at me while taking the eggs, and 

 nearly knocked off my hat ; and several times one or both 

 have alit on the tree within a yard of me ; but generally 

 they take up their position on the ground, or on a neigh- 

 bouring tree, whence they occasionally rise and circle uneasily 

 over the nest as the spoiler proceeds with his work of de- 

 struction. 



In the very summit of a large tala tree in one of our woods, 

 a colony of green Perroquets {Bolborhynchus monachus) had 

 constructed their nest. A pair of Caranchos then coolly used 

 it as a basis for their building-operations, and have continued 

 to breed there ever since, while the Parroquets still maintain 

 their quarters, apparently regardless of the truculent nature 

 of their neighbours. 



I have only seen three nests in the camp, one being par- 

 tially raised from the ground by its position in a clump of 



