Birds of Uruguay. 181 



themselves with tail spread to its widest extent^ aud utter a 

 few striduleut aud gratiug notes. When the male pursues 

 its mate or an enemy with spread tail it sways or swaggers 

 in its flight. In January I noticed them darting at some 

 tame Caranchos in the quinta^ actually striking the heads of 

 the birds^ which merely " ducked '' in the attempt to avoid the 

 onslaught. At sundown early in November I used to see 

 them (once three in a row) sitting on a bare poplar singing. 

 The song is exactly like the sound produced by winding up 

 a powerful check winch^ at first very slowly^ click, click, click, 

 click, click, then a little faster. The nest is rather deep, 

 formed of roots, grass, and a very little wool, and lined with 

 hair ; the eggs resemble those of the Venteveo in colour, but 

 have more spots, and are much smaller of course. 



54. Pachyrhamphus polychropterus. White-winged 

 Becard. 



I saw a pair in the monte of the Rio Negro on the 12th 

 December, aud secured the male, but the female (which was 

 a warm-brown coloured bird) flew into some very thick wood 

 at the shot, and I could not find her again. 



55. Geositta cunicularia. Common Miner. 

 Common, frequenting the barest ground and often seen 



in front of your horse^s feet on a road-track, yet seldom found 

 far from some Canada with steep banks or a zanja (a rift in 

 the ground or a perpendicular bank where the earth has 

 broken away) in the camp. In the faces of these banks it 

 drives a long burrow for its nest. I have seen the mud walls 

 of a ruined unroofed rancho bored through and through with 

 holes, possibly j)artli/ the Avork of this bird.. The " Minera " 

 has much the habit of our Wheatear, but has a rapid, ringing 

 cry. 



56. FuRNARius RUFUs. Red Oven-bird. 



Very common, especially about houses. They build their 

 nests in the most conspicuous spots, e. g. the top of a fence- 

 post, a very favourite position. Others are placed on the tops 

 and sides (sloping at various angles) of the granite boulder 

 rocks, others on the giant organ cactus formerly used for 



SER. VI. — VOL. VI. O 



