386 HussEY, spring Birds of La Plata. [qcu 



The original tree of the swampy forest {Erythrina crista-gaUi) 

 puts forth in December large masses of dark red blossoms, around 

 which numbers of hummingbirds are seen. But this tree has largely 

 been cut off, and is now confined chiefly to a strip along the shore 

 of the river, where the land is cut up into many little islands by 

 narrow canals and ditches. Finally, along the shore of the river 

 itself, is a narrow strip of sandy beach. 



Almost no collecting was done by the writer during his stay in 

 La Plata; therefore no species have been included in the following 

 list regarding whose identification there was the slightest doubt: 

 to phrase it diflferently, none of the forms listed below was regarded 

 as hypothetical. So this list includes but a few of the species 

 whose range includes La Plata. 



The nomenclature used here is for the most part that given by 

 Dabbene in the ' CatJilogo ' to his ' Ornitologia Argentina ' (1910) ^; 

 in a few cases other names, given by him in more recent publica- 

 tions, have been employed. 



1. Zenaida auriculata (Des Murs). " Torcasa." — This dove is 

 very common in comparatively open country where there are scattering 

 clumps of trees or bushes; I never found it in heavily wooded districts or 

 in the Bosque — in fact, I never saw it at all near the city. In the spring 

 and summer it was always seen singly or in pairs, but I was told that later 

 it gathers into large flocks. The song is often heard; the notes have a 

 sweet and sorrowful quality which gives something of the effect of our 

 Mourning Dove's song. 



A nest found December 22 contained one bird not yet completely feath- 

 ered out. The nest was a crude structure of sticks, in a thorny bush about 

 four feet from the ground, and was at the edge of a garden plot near Los 

 Talas. 



2. Coluinbula picui (Temm.). " Torcasita," " Picui." — This 

 small dove was much more frequently seen than the preceding species — 

 not because it was more plentiful, since the reverse is the case, but because 

 it comes around the edge of the town and was quite common in the Bosque. 

 It was usually seen in pairs, though in the winter and the early spring small 

 parties of about fifteen birds were not uncommon. The song of this bird 

 was quite familiar; it is not so pleasing as the song of the preceding species. 



3. Aramides ypecaha (Vieill.). " Gallinete." — The powerful cry 

 of alarm and the shrieking chorus of this rail were familiar to me long be- 

 fore I learned the identity of their author. 



'■ An. Mus. Nac. Buenos Aires, ser. 3, v. xi. 



