756 PATAGONIAN EXPEDITIONS: ZOOLOGY. 



saw one in the southern districts of Patagonia) northward to at least 30°, 

 and perhaps much farther. On the western side its southern limit is the 

 neighbourhood of Concepcion, where the country becomes dry and open, 

 and it ranges throughout Chile (specimens were procured from Valparaiso) 

 to at least as far north as Lima, in lat. 12°, on the coast of Peru. I may 

 here observe, that the northern limit of all birds, which are lovers of dry 

 countries, such as this Fiiniarius and some of the species oi Mimus, is not 

 probably at Lima but near Cape Blanco, 10° south of the Equator, where 

 the open and parched land of Peru blends (as it was described to me) 

 rather suddenly into the magnificent forests of Guayaquil. This Fiinia- 

 riits constantly haunts the driest and most open districts ; and hence sand- 

 dunes near the coast afford it a favorite resort. In La Plata, in northern 

 Patagonia, and in central Chile, it is abundant: in the former country it is 

 called Casarita, a name which has evidently been given from its relation- 

 ship with the Casaro, or Furnayijts ritfus, for, as we shall see, its nidifica- 

 tion is very different. It is a very tame, most quiet, solitary little bird, and 

 like the English robin [Sylvia rubeciila) it is usually most active early in the 

 morning and late in the evening. When disturbed it flies only to a short 

 distance ; it is fond of dusting itself on the roads ; it walks and runs (but 

 not very quickly), and generally by starts. I opened the stomachs of some, 

 and found in them the remains of Coleoptera, and chiefly Carabidse. At 

 certain seasons it frequently utters a peculiar, shrill but gentle, reiterated 

 cry, which is so quickly repeated as to produce one running sound. In 

 this respect, and in its manner of walking on the ground, and in its food, 

 this species closely resembles the Casari, but in its quiet manners it differs 

 from that active bird. Its nidification is likewise different for it builds its 

 nest at the bottom of a narrow cylindrical hole, which is said to extend hori- 

 zontally to nearly six feet under ground. Several of the country people 

 told me, that when boys, they had attempted to dig out the nest, but had 

 scarcely ever succeeded in getting in to the end. The bird chooses any 

 low bank of firm sandy soil by the side of a road or stream. At the settle- 

 ment of Bahia Blanca the walls are built of hardened mud ; and I noticed 

 one, enclosing a courtyard, where I lodged, which was penetrated by round 

 holes in a score of places. On asking the owner the cause of this, he bit- 

 terly complained of the little Casarita, several of which I afterwards observed 

 at work. It is rather curious, that as these birds were constantly flitting 

 backwards and forwards over the low wall, they must be quite incapable 



