280 Mr. E. Gibsou on the Birds 



24. PiTANGUs BELLicosus (Vieill.). 



25. Pyrocephalus rubineus (Bodd.). 



Appeared on lOtli September and became very abundant. 



26. Tyrannus melancholicuSj Vieill, 



Not uncommon and paired^ probably breeding about 28th 

 October, when a male was shot in the garden. 



27. MiLVULUs TYRANNUS (Linn.). 



Very abundant. Appeared first on 20th September, and 

 was breeding generally by the end of November, One nest 

 which I took contained four eggs : the first occasion on which 

 I ever saw the usual number of three exceeded. It was 

 placed in a stunted " espinillo ^' tree, about six feet from the 

 ground, and was built of dry stems of plants and lined with 

 fine roots, some wool, and some horsehair. The date was 

 30th November. 



28. Geositta cunicularia (Vieill.). 



29. Furnarius rufus (Gm.). 

 Abundant. 



30. Leptasthenura ^githaloides (Kittl.). 



31. Synallaxis phryganophila, Vieill. 



One shot 7th. October in " iiapinda " hedge near head 

 station. This was the only specimen I saw, though I fre- 

 quently looked for it afterwards. These hedges were such 

 horrid things that one had to look for the birds to appear at 

 the surface some distance oif or else push the muzzle of the 

 gun in among the branches and blow the specimen to pieces ; 

 and the birds generally showed a marked preference for the 

 latter course. On this occasion I was strolling along with 

 the setting sun in my eyes, when a small bird showed on the 

 outside at a fair range. It might have been a Wren or any 

 thing common, for all I could judge; but, arguing from the 

 general perversity of "napinda^' hedges and their denizens, 

 I selected to satisfy myself, and fired. Hence this exulta- 

 tion and dissertation. 



