Birds of Uruguay . 183 



Ana)^ but I believe I met with it on a good many occasions ; 

 its habits, however, render it very difficult to shoot. It 

 lives among tall paja grass, and runs rapidly, with tail 

 slightly raised, among the hassocks, dodging out of sight in 

 a moment. Little flights into the air, only a foot or so 

 above the paja, are occasionally taken, apparently in pursuit 

 of insects. When flushed it only flies a very short distance, 

 and then drops into cover again. The one I shot, being- 

 only winged, gave me a long chase — 100 yards at least, — 

 dodging among the paja, and at length *^ went to ground'^ 

 in a thick tuft. It was five minutes before I could kick it 

 out, when another short run ensued before I " killed " in a 

 small hassock. 



62. Anumbius acutigaudatus. Firewood-gatherer. 

 Resident and common. With us the nest was usually in 



curupi bushes growing among the rocks ; this tree is without 

 thorns, aud has not many branchlets, besides which a part 

 of nearly every bush I saw was dead * ; another favourite 

 position was one of the young poplars in the quiuta. The 

 note of the " Espiuero " is a chit chit cher-eeeeeeeee, the latter 

 part rapid. 



63. Phacellodomus striaticollis. Eed-winged Thorn- 

 bird f. 



Common, frequenting especially parts of the rivers which 

 have thin monte or only a few scattered bushes along the 

 bank, but also found among bushes in the rocks. The nest 

 is placed in the outer twigs, or a small fork of a tree or bush, 

 in some cases overhanging the water. It is formed of thorny 

 and other twigs, and is lined in some cases with long horse- 

 hair and cow-hair, and in otliers with roots, a little hair, and 

 a few Tinamu feathers. The nest, which lies in a sloping- 

 position, is like a wide-mouthed bottle, and consists of two 

 chambers, an outer and an inner. One on 9th November 

 had a delicate white egg, quite fresh, in the outer chamber ; 



* See Ml'. Hudson's remarks hereon in 'Argentine Oruitholog-y' (i. p. 190). 

 t [This bh'd was unfortunately misnamed in Arg. Orn. (i. p. 194:) and 

 caUed P. ruhei: See Oat. B. xv. p. 82.— P. L. S.] 



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