on the Birds of Chili. 307 



former species ( T. rumicivorus) . It also has the same habit of 

 Hatteuing- itself on the saud to escape observation. It is larger 

 than T. rumicivorus ,di\\ adult male measuring 8"25 inches long, 

 bill -675, tail 2"5,Ming 5*5, tarsus -875. The bill is deep chrome 

 at the base, shading to broccoli-brown at the point. Legs 

 and feet deep chrome, claws black. These birds become 

 more voluble at times, especially at night, when their peculiar 

 gobbling cry is frequently audible and somewhat like the 

 drumming of a Snipe. They arc usually met in small flocks, 

 except when in the breeding-season, which is at its height 

 during January and February. At Sacaya the nest is a 

 mere hollow in the saud, Avith a few fragments o*f twigs or 

 grass around. The eggs are four in number. These birds 

 are mostly graminivorous in their feeding. 



They occur generally on the Andes of N'ortli Chili as far 

 as the peaks adjacent to Santiago, extending both sides from 

 8,000 to 14,000 feet, but south of this I got no authentic 

 report of them. 



106. Attagis gayi, St.-Hil. et Less. 



Attagis gayi, Sharpe, B. M. C. xxiv. p. 715 ; Scl. P. Z. S. 

 1891, p. 137. 



(Sacaya.) 



Of this species I learned but little ; it is called " Perdiz 

 (Partridge) de la Cordilla,'-" occurring, so far as I could 

 ascertain, only on the elevated solitudes of the Andes from 

 5,000 to 12,000 feet. 



Guided by an Indian, I sought it several times, but 

 only once came on a flock or covey of about half a dozen 

 near Sacaya, out of which I got the specimen sent. This 

 was a female 12"25 inches in length, bill (point to rictus) 

 •875, tail 3*5, wing 7*125, tarsus 1*125 ; hind toe absent. 

 The iris was cinnamon. 



I Avas told that these birds lay five or six eggs of a deep 

 purple colour, and that they are resident in flocks of from 

 about six to ten, each flock frequenting one special locality, 

 generally the head of some remote valley, where they are 

 little disturbed. 



