Birds of Uruguay. 171 



nests in construction and one finished. Three of these were 

 in young poplars^ the fourth in a Pirns insignis ; the former 

 in the first fork of the branches, 8 or 9 feet from the ground. 

 They were formed of grass, wool, lichen, &c., and lined with 

 hair. The next day the house-peon showed me a quite in- 

 accessible nest, some 10 or 12 feet up a big organ cactus (or 

 tuna) near the kitchen. Siskins were in song at the end of 

 January. The local name is " Silgero.''^ 



26. Sycalis pelzelni. Yellow House-Sparrow. 



A very common resident. Numerous about houses and 

 other buildings, and also found here and there among shrub- 

 grown rocks and in large Avillows beside a stream, In 

 autumn they collect in considerable flocks and feed out in 

 the camp. I watched a male courting a female one day ; he 

 sat on a roof close to her and, with elevated tail and head and 

 drooped wings, sang a few shrill notes. I have seen our 

 Robin do much the same Avhen facing a rival. 



27. Sycalis luteola. Misto Seed Finch. 



Not uncommon, especially about quintas and chacras where 

 any corn is grown and weed-seeds may be found on the 

 edges. 



* Amblycercus solitarius. Solitary Cassique. 



In the monte of the Rio Negro I took the nest of what I 

 imagine to be this bird. It was woven of vegetable fibres and 

 long horse- and cow-hair, and is purse-shaped, 19^ inches long 

 and 5^ inches in diameter at its biggest part near the lower 

 end. It was hung to the outside twig of a tala bush, about 12 

 or 15 feet from the ground ; the entrance is in the side, nearly 

 at the top. Another nest which came into my hands is 

 beautifully made, chiefly of a dark-brown vegetable fibre with 

 a little horse-hair ; it is wonderfully soft in texture. This 

 was kindly presented to me by Mr. C. J. F. Davie. Unfor- 

 tunately I was never able to secure a bird. It is well known 

 to the Orientales as the Boyero, a black bird with a cone- 

 shaped beak. Seuor Don Luis Bollo, who describes the bird 

 and its wonderful nest, says : — " Abunda, sobre todo en el 

 Rio Negro, desde Mercedes a la boca del Yaguari.^' , 



