24 The Naturalist in La Plata. 



harrier-like chimango. These nest on the ground, 

 are versatile in their habits, carrion- eaters, also 

 killers on their own account, and, like wild dogs, 

 sometimes hunt in bands, which gives them an 

 advantage. They are the unfailing attendants of 

 all flesh-hunters, human or feline; and also furiously 

 pursue and persecute all eagles and true vultures 

 that venture on that great sea of grass, to wander 

 thereafter, for ever lost and harried, " the Hagars 

 and Ishmaels of their kind." 



The owls are few and all of wide-ranging species. 

 The most common is the burrowing-owl, found in 

 both Americas. Not a retiring owl this, but all day 

 long, in cold and in heat, it stands exposed at the 

 mouth of its kennel, or on the vizcacha's mound, 

 staring at the passer-by with an expression of grave 

 surprise and reprehension in its round yellow eyes ; 

 male and female invariably together, standing stiff 

 and erect, almost touching of all birds that pair 

 for life the most Darby and Joan like. 



Of the remaining land birds, numbering about 

 forty species, a few that are most attractive on 

 account of their beauty, engaging habits, or large 

 size, may be mentioned here. On the southern por- 

 tion of the pampas the military starling (Sturnella) 

 is found, and looks like the European starling, with 

 the added beauty of a scarlet breast : among resi- 

 dent pampas birds the only one with a touch of 

 brilliant colouring. It has a pleasing, careless song, 

 uttered on the wing, and in winter congregates in 

 great flocks, to travel slowly northwards over the 

 plains. When thus travelling the birds observe a 

 kind of order, and the flock feeding along the 



