172 Mr. O. V. Apliu on the 



28. MoLOTHRUs BONARiENsis. Argentine Cow-bird. 



Resident and very numerous. I found many eggs — ^both 

 wbiteand spotted — inOetober^in nests of other birds (although 

 an early-fledgcd young one had left a nest by the 27th Oc- 

 tober), some of them being sucked or pecked in the nests and 

 some lying on the ground. A Chingolo^s nest in the quinta 

 which I was watching contained one morning two red-spotted 

 Toldo's eggs (this is the invariable local name), one already 

 sucked, and this before the rightful owner had laid a single 

 egg; the nest was then deserted. The Toldo must act as a 

 great check on the increase of many birds, for notwith- 

 standing the number of their own eggs which are wasted or 

 destroyed by their fellows, they are very numerous. A 

 favourite nest for laying in is that of the Mocking-bird; in 

 one nest of that bird I found an egg belonging to the owners 

 and five of the Toldo, while another lay on the ground under- 

 neath the nest. From February onwards there was a great 

 congregation of these birds in the estancia gum-trees for 

 roosting purposes, chattering after the manner of Starlings. 

 About sundown flock after flock could be seen coming in from 

 the camp, flying high and in a compact body like Starlings, 

 On 12th March 1 made this note: — "^Vast flocks in gums, 

 two trees at corner of patio especially favoured ; they are a 

 great nuisance."" Although a resident, it is possible that a 

 partial migration takes place, as Mr. Burgess told me the 

 flocks decreased after getting to a certain pitch as winter 

 came on. They were certainly not so large as they had been 

 when I left at the end of May. 



29. MoLOTHRus RUFOAXiLLARis. Scrcamiug Cow-bird. 



A few of these birds were to be found with the Cow-birds 

 and Bay-wings, and I shot adults at Sta. Elena and Sta. Ana. 

 At the former place I saw one changing its plumage and 

 exactly like the specimen figured in ' Argentine Ornithology ' 

 (plate vi. fig. 2) ; I let it escape while watching its ways, and 

 never got another chance to slioot it. 



30. MoLOTHRUs BADius. Bay-winged Cow-bird. 

 Common and resident, and one of the familiar garden 



