62 FRINGILLID^E. 



83. EMBERNAGRA PLATENSIS (Om.). 

 (RED-BILLED GROUND-FINCH.) 



Embernagra platensis, Burm. La-Plata Reise, ii. p. 485 (Parana) j Scl. et Salv. 

 P. Z. S. 1868, p. 140 (Buenos Ayres), 1872, p. 548 (Rio Negro), iid. 

 Nomencl p. 32 ; Durnford, Ibis, 1877, p. 172 (Buenos Ayres) ; White, P. Z. S. 

 1882, p. GOO (Buenos Ayres, Corrientes) j Doring t Exp. al Rio Negro, Zool. 

 p. 40 (R. Colorado, R. Negro) j Earrows, Bull. Nutt. Om. Cl. viii. p. 132 

 (Concepcion, Entrerios). 



Description. Above dull olive-green, striped with blackish ; wings silky olive- 

 green, the inner webs of the feathers black ; edge of wings yellow; tail-feathers 

 dull olive-green ; beneath, throat and breast grey : belly buff; beak bright red ; 

 feet pinkish horn-colour : total length 8-8 inches, wing 3'7, tail 3'8. Female 

 similar. 



Hob. South Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. 



In this Finch the plumage is alike in both sexes. Above it is dusky 

 olive -green, beneath grey ; the beak is of a fine bright red. In Argen- 

 tina this bird is most common in the littoral forests along the Plata, 

 but ranges as far south as the Rio Negro in Patagonia. It does not 

 migrate, nor associates in flocks ; but the sexes are faithful, and the 

 male and female are invariably together, and appear to be very fond of 

 each other's society. They have a loud, sharp alarm chirp or cry, 

 which bursts from the bird with the startling suddenness of a sneeze 

 from a human being ; also a confused unmelodious song, which always 

 reminds me, in its hurry, vehemence, and peculiar sound, of the 

 gobbling of a turkey-cock. They are not shy, but when approached sit 

 jerking their tails about, and uttering loud chirps as if greatly excited. 

 The flight is very curious ; the bird springs up with great suddenness, 

 and with tail erect, and the long legs dangling down like a RaiFs, 

 proceeds by a series of irregular jerks, violently shutting and opening 

 its wings. They breed on the ground under the grass, and conceal 

 their nest so well that I doubt whether the parasitical Molothrus ever 

 finds it. I have, at all events, never seen them followed by the young 

 of Molothrus demanding food. 



As a rule, small seed-eating birds are beneficially affected by the 

 presence of man ; thus our common Zonotrichia and other sparrows 

 and finches have become excessively numerous in the most thickly - 

 settled districts. With the Red-billed Finch, however, just the contrary 

 has happened; and since I have known this species it has disappeared 

 from many localities where it was once quite common. Azara's name 

 for this species, Habia de banado, signifies that it is a marsh bird ; but 

 though now found chiefly in marshy situations, it was once common 

 enough over the entire pampas region, before the great plains were 



