754 PATAGONIAN EXPEDITIONS: ZOOLOGY. 



of Rldgway) shaded with darker tones of the same, a light superciliary 

 stripe; each feather of the crown with distinct dark center and those of the 

 back darker subterminally, lighter on the shaft; wing coverts and tertials 

 narrowly edged with paler ; primaries and secondaries largely tawny, the 

 latter with broad subterminal blackish bands ; under wing coverts pinkish 

 cinnamon ; tail dusky vinaceous, tawny at base, this area increasing to the 

 outermost feather which is tawny with the outer web white ; rump vina- 

 ceous buff; lower parts white slightly tinged with vinaceous, a more or less 

 defined collar of dusky spots across the chest, and some dusky dots on 

 the ear coverts and in a line on each side of the throat. 



This bird is one of a series of five evidently worn breeding birds. In 

 full fresh plumage the vinaceous tint is stronger and the colors more 

 blended. Such a specimen is 7767 near Coy Inlet, October 2, 1896, 

 male, which is nearly uniform wood brown above. 



A young bird (P. U. O. C. 7768, Cape Fairweather, 9, February 10, 

 1898, A. E. Colburn) apparently in the plumage of the first winter (i.e. 

 following the juvenal plumage) is more ashy above, with lighter edgings 

 to wing feathers more prominent and crown and hind neck speckled with 

 buffy white. 



Male and female seem to be exactly alike. 



Geogyapliical Range. — Uruguay, Argentina, Chili and Patagonia; 

 Tierra del Fuego. 



Geositta cunicitlayia was found by the Princeton naturalists to be com- 

 mon and probably resident at Punta Arenas. A worn female was obtained 

 on February 10, 1898. At Cape Fairweather and near Coy Inlet fully 

 molted birds in fine fresh plumage were secured. 



The nests are placed in burrows excavated by the birds in steep banks, 

 the burrows being long or deep and parallel to the ground surface above. 

 Wherever the Vizcacha [Lagostomus trichodacty/us) finds a congenial site 

 for living on the pampas the Geositta s\.2k& advantage of the burrows made 

 by these animals, using such as are more or less abandoned by the Viz- 

 cachas for nesting sites and roosting places ; a swallow also forms part of 

 this society, at least during the breeding season, and the communal life 

 is as noticeable as that of the prairie dogs and owls on the great plains of 

 North America. 



Mr. Peters says: "It is a very common resident of the dry sandy plains 

 (of northern Patagonia). It is distinctly terrestrial; I do not recall ever 



