223 Mr. J. G. Kerr on the Birds 



until the middle of February. By this time the waters had 

 subsided cousiderably, and we were able to make a start for 

 the River Paraguay. All the horses had been carried off by 

 a mysterious epidemic, and although we had ox-carts for our 

 impedimenta, we found the journey most trying. During 

 the rainy season a dense mass of matted vegetation had 

 grown up everywhere over the submerged ground, through 

 which for twelve days^ journey we had to force our way. 

 On the twelfth day we crossed a tributary of the Riacho 

 Verde, making rafts of palm-trunks for our baggage ; and 

 thence onwards to the Paraguay the country was dry and 

 waterless, the soil parched and dry, affording the greatest 

 contrast possible to the flooded country we had been passing 

 through before. After spending some weeks in the interior 

 of Paraguay we returned to the Chaco and made a second 

 expedition to Waikthlatingmayalwa for the purpose of ob- 

 serving the dry-season habits of the Lepidosirens. Most of 

 the month of May was spent in this work, and thereafter 

 we left finally for the south. 



In the appended list of birds I indicate the locality 

 Waikthlatingmayalwa by the initial W. 



Fam. I. Tu RD I D ^. 



1. TuRDUS LEUcoMELAS Vieill. 

 W., Nov. 4, 1896. 



2. TuRDUS RUFIVENTRIS Vicill. 



W., Oct. 31, 1896, May 5, 1897. Frequent. 

 Fam. II. MuscicAPiD^. 



3. POLIOPTILA DTJMICOLA (Vicill.). 



W. Abundant in open monte. 



Fam. III. Troglodytid^. 



4. DONACOBIUS ATRICAPILLUS (LiuU.). 



Lengua, Heydmng. 



W., Nov. 4, 12, 13, 1896. In brush by edge of swamp. 

 Iris golden-yellow ; bare patch of skin at side of neck 

 bright orange-yellow ; feet hazel; bill black. 



