Notes from a Traveler in the Tropics 



337 



along streams or in drainage areas, assumes some luxuriance. Both eucalyptus 

 and poplars have been successfully introduced and are sufificiently abundant to 

 form a marked feature of the landscape of central Chile. 



My duties for the Red Cross left small time for field excursions about either 

 Valparaiso or Santiago, nor was the season a favorable one for the study of 

 birds. I can therefore give a more adequate sketch of the principal character- 

 istics of the bird-life of central Chile by relating briefly certain observations 

 made in the vicinity of Santiago in the early spring (August 23-25) of igi6. 



At this season there was a yellow-green veil over the willows, about springy 

 places the grass was 

 emerald,' and peach 

 trees were beginning to 

 bloom. Frogs croaked 

 in the marshes, great 

 flocks of Goldfinches 

 made the poplars vocal, 

 a small Woodpecker 

 called peek, almost ex- 

 actly like our Downy, 

 and rolled his drum. 

 Swallows gurgled, and 

 from the beds of old 

 cat - tails a Yellow- 

 shouldered Blackbird 

 uttered a call - note 

 strangely suggestive of 

 that of his far-away 

 red-shouldered cousin. 

 In fact, both eye and ear were reminded, by many obvious and other more 

 subtle influences, of spring in the North Temperate Zone, j 



The Red-breasted Trupials {Trupialis militaris) passed in straggling flocks 

 like Robins returning to their roost, and their flight-note recalled that of a 

 Robin, but their llight-song was more like that of a Mcadowlark. One did not 

 often get a view of tlu-ir brightly colored breast, hut wlien seen it flashed like a 

 railway signal. 



With the more familiar sights and sounds there were mingled others which 

 had no place in one's memorx- of a si)riiig at the N'orth. 



Everywhere the gray Diuca Finches {Diuca dimn) were abundant. While 

 their song hears a slight resenfl)lance to that of our Rose-breasted (Irosheak, 

 tin- iiirds thcmsclvt's ari' (|iiilr unlikr. 'V\^v hiuia is douhlk-ss the most abun- 

 dant of Chilean land-birds. One sees it everywhere, along the roadsides, on 

 telegraph wires, in gardens, in the bush-covered foothills, in cages and in the 

 markets, for it is \alued both as a pet and as a source of food. There is ajipar- 



KL TL'RCO 



