Birds of Paraguay. 645 



a, b. S a d. Sapucay, April 1903. 



Bill black ; feet dark bluish slate-coloured ; iris brown. 



c. $ ad. Sapucay, June 13, 1903. 



d. ? ad. „ July 21, 1903. 



e. ? ad. „ August 14, 1904. 



[This species is resident and not uncommon in the district. 

 It is a forest-loving bird and is very rarely met with in 

 the open except during planting-time, when the newly turned 

 earth evidently attracts the bird in search of iusects. — 

 W. F.~] 



237. Aaptus chopi. 



Chopi Azara, Apunt. i. p. 282. no. lxii. (1802). 



Agelaius chopi Vieill. N. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. xxxiv. p. 537 

 (1819: Paraguay). 



Aphobus chopi Sclater, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xi. p. 405 ; 

 Berlepsch, J. f. 0. 1887, p. 117 (Paraguay). 



Aaptus chopi Ihering, Revista Mus. Paulista, vi. p. 323 

 (Paraguay). 



a, b. $ ; c, d. £ ad. Sapucay, April 1903. 



Bill and feet black ; iris brown. 



e,f. S ad. Sapucay, May 1903. 



g. £ ad. „ June 12, 1903. 



[This species is common and resident in Paraguay, where 

 it is the special aversion of the agriculturist, owing to the 

 impudence with which it digs up the maize as soon as the 

 leaves shew above the ground. In this way a flock will, in 

 a day or so, utterly destroy a large field of corn, unless 

 it is very carefully watched. The birds are so used to being 

 frightened away that they go only to the edge of the forest. 

 The Paraguayan is too poor to be able to shoot, and well the 

 birds know that no harm can come to them for trespassing, 

 while at times the damage done is considerable; between 

 locusts and Chopis the poor planter has a bad time of it. 

 Cyanocorax cceruleus is as impudent and daring as the Chopi, 

 and both are so common that planting is not one of the 

 easiest things imaginable. — W. F.] 



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