14 BIRDS OF LA PLATA 
the strange vocalist. After a short interval of silence 
I had a fresh surprise. From the very spot whence 
that torrent of melody had issued, burst out the 
shrill, confused, impetuous song of the small Yellow- 
and-Grey Patagonian Flycatcher (Stigmatura flavo- 
cinerea). It irritated me to hear this familiar and 
trivial song after the other, and I began to fear that 
my entertainer had flown away unobserved. But in 
another moment, from the same spot, came the 
mellow matin-song of the Diuca Finch, and this was 
quickly succeeded by the silvery bell-like trilling 
song of the Churrinche, or little Scarlet Tyrant-bird. 
Then followed many other familiar notes and songs 
—the flute-like evening call of the Crested Tinamu, 
the gay hurried twittering of the Black-headed Siskin, 
and the leisurely-uttered delicious strains of the 
Yellow Cardinal, all repeated with miraculous fidelity. 
How much was my wonder and admiration increased 
by the discovery that my one sweet singer had pro- 
duced all these diverse strains! The discovery was 
only made when he began to repeat songs of species 
that never visit Patagonia. I knew then that I was at 
last listening to the famed White Mocking-bird, just 
returned from his winter travels, and repeating in 
this southern region the notes he had acquired in 
sub-tropical forests a thousand miles away. 
These imitations at length ceased, after which the 
sweet vocalist resumed his own matchless song once 
more. I ventured then to creep a little nearer, and 
at length caught sight of him hardly fifteen yards 
away. I then found that the pleasure of listening to 
